A panel of the Liberal Democratic Party called Friday for a change in government's interpretation of the Constitution so that Japan can engage in collective defense to reinforce its alliance with the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.
The defense affairs division of the LDP's Policy Affairs Research Council, chaired by Upper House member Tomoharu Yoda, made the recommendation in a report wrapping up its studies conducted since last month.
Among the topics of discussion by the panel members was a U.S. bipartisan report compiled last fall by security experts, including Richard Armitage, now nominee for deputy secretary of state. The Armitage report says, "Japan's prohibition against collective defense is a constraint on alliance cooperation."