Prime Minister Shinzo Abe¡¯s coalition partner warned that a proposal to broaden the military¡¯s role to strike back against enemy attacks risks upsetting Â鶹´«Ã½ neighbors.
¡°Japan has gained the trust of neighboring countries by adopting an exclusively defensive posture,¡± Natsuo Yamaguchi, who leads the Buddhist-backed Komeito party, said in an interview Monday. ¡°To take an action undermining that could cause friction.¡±
Yamaguchi, 64, was responding to questions about how Japan should bolster its defenses against a potential ballistic-missile attack from North Korea. The country launched its latest missile earlier that day.
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