Koizumi vows to uphold ‘defense-oriented’ policy at ASEAN meet

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has vowed to uphold Japan’s “exclusively defense-oriented” policy, as China continues to claim that Tokyo is “accelerating its remilitarization” with its defense buildup and shifting security policies. Koizumi, speaking at an expanded meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers on the Philippine island of Cebu late Thursday, said that Japan will set an example with its transparency as it revises its three key security documents — including its National Security Strategy — by the year-end. The Japanese defense chief said the changes will improve his country’s ability to defend itself and contribute to the security of the region.