Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent proposal to revise the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 has sparked debate, anxiety and speculation in political circles, thanks in large part to his stubborn refusal to clarify his own thoughts on the matter.
Senior officials in the Liberal Democratic Party have insisted Abe's revision would not bring about substantive changes in Japan's security policies, including the defense-only posture.
Abe has so far called only for adding a new paragraph to Article 9 that would legitimize the existence of the Self-Defense Forces while keeping the war-renouncing portion unaltered, LDP officials said.
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