It is the first time that Japan will mention specific nations as threats to its peace and stability. The National Defense Program Outline, issued in 1995, merely states that uncertainty and unpredictability remain in areas surrounding Japan, including on the Korean Peninsula.

"North Korea's military moves are a grave destabilizing factor in the region," states the draft, presented to an LDP security panel.

"At the same time, Japan must pay close attention to China's modernization of its military and the expansion of its activities in the sea."

Japan is in dispute with China over ocean resources and ownership of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. In November, a Chinese submarine briefly intruded into Japanese territorial waters off Okinawa, putting the Maritime Self-Defense Force on alert.

The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 4, 2004
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