The government appears to be on the verge of expediting a bill that would give it permanent authority to send Self-Defense Forces on postconflict missions abroad.
"We plan to draw up general principles first, and then draft a law," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Thursday. "If the Diet allows, we would like to do it as early as possible."
Fukuda's remarks suggest such a bill could be submitted to the next ordinary session, which convenes in January.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.