politics

Diet enacts law to establish National Security Council

10 Comments

The Diet on Wednesday passed a law to create a U.S.-style National Security Council, giving the prime minister's office greater authority as Tokyo grapples with the shifting balance of power in East Asia.

The new framework will be centered around a panel made up of the prime minister, the chief cabinet secretary and the foreign and defense ministers, who will have decision-making powers over mid- and long-term policies on diplomatic and national security matters.

Establishing an NSC has been a priority for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe since he came to power last December, and comes as Tokyo is involved in an increasingly bitter stand-off with Beijing over the sovereignty of an island chain.

Abe's ruling coalition pushed a controversial state secrets bill through the lower house on Tuesday. It will give Tokyo far broader powers in deciding what constitutes a state secret, and severely punish those who leak the information.

Critics say the bill is draconian and will infringe press freedom and the public's right to know.

Abe has said the secrecy law will enable the NSC to function effectively, since a legal framework for preventing leaks of state secrets is a prerequisite for Japan to share sensitive security information with other countries.

© (c) 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
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secrets within secrets, layers within layers. You don't fight China by becoming it

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I don't see what the problem is. It's not like many people are going to suffer as a result, or anyone for that matter. It'll only affect someone like Ed Snowden who goes spouting government secrets. As I recall, that's considered an act of Treason (correct me if I'm wrong), and should be punished severely. No-one else should be affected. A window cleaner doesn't have access to classified documents. Except in London, where the MOD and Whitehall seem to leave classified documents on trains all the time.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

How many seats is the PM in? Abe has given up on Fukushima

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Another police state in the making.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Another trick from the Americans. Now we wont know about the JSDF's operations to gather intelligence in China. Spy on your neighbours and conduct black ops and then blame them for being the aggressors. the oldest american trick!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Good on Abe for bringing Japan firmly into the 21st century security apparatus. This was, of course, passed by a democratically elected government that announced their intentions to do so before the last election, so this is what the people wanted. Japan is taking the considerable regional security risks seriously.

Those who say, "Abe has given up on Fukushima" remind me of Kanye West as his statements on George Bush, and they will be remembered as similarly off base by history. This has nothing to do with Fukushima. Abe, and his government, are perfectly capable of handing both issues concurrently.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

This has nothing to do with Fukushima. Abe, and his government, are perfectly capable of handing both issues concurrently.

Wow, got any evidence that he is handling Fukushima beyond eating a fish from there? 200 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific each day.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This thing they had to do , before this, Japan was playing poker with China with open cards , now they can try to play on normal level .

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another episode of the Muppets Show.

More like Muppet Babies.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

6 more committee members. Can Japan find as qualified as Ms, Yamada on this committee? No wonder PM Abe chose Ms, Yamada as his aide. Not only legal matters and economics, she is an expert on even internet abuse and other related field that Japanese counterperts do not have neither experience nor knowledges. Maybe Goverment has to look from civilian field? Telecom? Cspan? Copycat infringement? Experienced in communicating with Representative of USA? I mean oushing Japanese side toward USA wish?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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