The government announced Friday plans to conduct a sweeping overhaul of its defense policy, adjusting Japan's armed forces to better handle new threats such as terrorism and giving them a greater global role.
China and North Korea are identified in the review as key threats to Japan's national security -- the first time specific countries have been cited in this fashion.
Regarding the main missions of the Self-Defense Forces, the government has added "improvement of the international security environment" to the traditional objective of repelling attacks on Japan's territory.
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