"newsline". prime minister shinzo abe's cabinet has approved a set of bills including articles that would allow the country to exercise collective self-defense. abe is about to address the nation to explain why he's committed to changing the country's security policy. let's listen in.

[ speaking japanese ] >> translator: several years ago we the japanese people made a pledge. we will never repeat the tragedy of war. we pledge to keep this pledge not to go to war. and to keep that pledge into the future and we pledge that we will protect the lives and the peaceful livelihoods and every day lives of the japanese people. with this determination we have rendered a cabinet decision to approve peace and security related legislation which will make more certain peace and security in the world and in japan.

in this time and day, no country alone can protect its own country. over the past two years japanese nationals became victims of terrorism in algeria, syria and tunisia. several ballistic missiles of north korea have most of japan in their range. and the development of nuclear weapons that can be carried on these missiles has become more serious. the emergency sorties made by sdf aircraft or so-called scrambles to respond to aircraft of unknown nationality approaching our country have increased seven fold compared to ten years ago.

this is the reality. we cannot avert our eyes from this reality. therefore, i attach great importance to diplomatic efforts through dialogue with our neighboring countries. since being appointed as prime minister, i have engaged in pro active diplomacy that views the world as a whole. any conflict must be resolved peacefully based on international law, not by force or coercion. this principle i have repeated over and over again in the international community and have won the support of many countries. i will protect peace through diplomacy. i will continue to engaging

proactive peace diplomacy. at the same time we should not neglect preparing for contingencies. for that end we should strength our pivot of security for japan reliance and with my visit to the united states recently the ties between japan and the united states are ever stronger. if japan is attacked the u.s. forces will do their best to defend japan. and in order to comply with the security treaty the u.s. forces are monitoring the seas near japan appropriately. if the u.s. forces are attacked in the line of their duty,

unless yapjapan is attacked japan could not do anything. we could not do anything we did not do anything and that was japan's position up to now. is it really fair? in the seas near japan if u.s. forces are attacked we could also be jeopardized, and endangered. this is not somebody else's problem, but our own crisis. if our lives and peaceful living are exposed to clear danger and there's no other appropriate measures to eliminate that danger and the counter measures would be within the minimum necessity. these three conditions are

stipulated as strict limits in the bill. and the diet is necessary, needless to say. in a very limited manner we will allow for the use of the right of collective self-defense. but even then japan could involve itself in american war. some might be anxious. but to those who are anxious, i will explicitly mention that, that is absolutely impossible. the new japan/u.s. agreement stipulates this clearly japan will use force to protect its

people. this is japan and the united states common understanding. if japan should be exposed to danger the japan/u.s. alliance will function fully and by sending this message to the world the deterrence of the alliance will be enhanced even further and the chances of japan being attacked will lessen further. that's what i believe. therefore, to label the bills as war bills is irresponsible and completely incorrect. the bills are strictly aimed at protecting the lives of the japanese people and their peaceful livelihood and for that end we prepare for all scenarios and prepare seamlessly, that's what the bills are about. the conventional principle that

the self-defense force personnel cannot be dispatched generally still holds. therefore, it will never happen that the sdf will participate in combat in wars like the gulf war or the war in iraq. that will not happen. now or in the future. and on the other hand overseas the self-defense forces for more than 20 years starting with the mind sweeping activities in the persian gulf the major corridor for oil transport has been contributing in international cooperation activities and even right now the sdf is supporting south sudan which has just won independence. this is in scorching africa. in cambodia is working with japan. japan supported cambodia's

reconstruction and the head of the cambodia unit which operated the hospital had the following to say to an sdf member. he said the activities of japan in the u.n. peace keeping operations in cambodia still remains vividly in the memories of the cambodian people and we want this hospital to be used more than anything by the japanese people. we are on call for the japanese people 24 hours a day to provide treatment. the activities of the self-defense forces so far without a doubt have contributed to peace in the world. and their activities are greatly appreciated. i would like to express my deepest respect to the devoted efforts made by the more than 50,000 -- total of 50,000 sdf members and based on this

wonderful track record and experience, we have decided to revise the pko law and to develop the law to support international peace cooperation. through this we will expand the scope of our international cooperation and we will introduce legislative reforms to provide real area support to foreign troops including the u.s. military who are engaged in activities to secure peace in japan for japan. but in each of these activities we will not use force. these are the conflict prevention humanitarian and recovery support and supply food and fuel those areas japan is

best at that japan will partner with the international society. not only in significant situations impacting peace and safety of japan, japan will hoist the banner of active contribution to peace and we're determined to contribute even further to peace and stability of the world. after the second world war japan has been walking as a peaceful nation. we're valued highly. we should be proud of our past. but that was not achieved by just chanting peace. we established the self-defense forces we revised japan with a security treaty we took part in

international peace cooperation activities responding to the changes of the times. we had been reflecting our hope for peace into our actions. these achievements are result of our forerunners and that's what i'm convinced. when we weigh actions we invite criticism. when we revise the security treaty, and we enacted the pko cooperation law, we the government was criticized that japan will be involved in wars. but such criticisms were off the mark which is proven by the history. with our deep remorse of the past world war for the past 70 years we have defended our pledge of not engaging in war.

nobody in japan wants war. there's no room of doubt of that. we should be confident. let's stop neglecting the changes of times and let's stop staggering. in order to pass down peaceful japan, let's make an advance forward with confidence. for the peace of japan and the world, i am determined to stand at the forefront and together with the japanese people i am determined to open a new page of the history. thank you very much.

we'll now take questions. if you have a question please raise your hand and i will point to you. so please give your name and your company. first starting with the coordinating companies. the bills which were given cabinet approval according to surveys by media companies public opinion is split on these bills as some people are very cautious about these bills and the opposition bloc is opposed to that exercise of the right to collective self-defense and there is protest or outrage expressed at the speech you made in the u.s. last month when you said that the bills will be enacted by this summer. how do you respond to this? and in the deliberations can the bills be amended? as i said before the bills, it

is the most important duty of the government to protect the lives and the livelihood of the people. and the security situation surrounding japan is becoming more severe and given this in order to protect the lives of the japanese people and their livelihoods, we have established all sorts of scenarios to make seamless preparation and to put in seamless security related legislation in place that is necessary. i am confident. and if there is a conflict overseas and if there are japanese nationals trying to escape and if the japanese nationals are rescued by an ally for example, the u.s. and if they are getting -- if they are trying to transport the japanese nationals back to japan the u.s. may be attacked to attack in the process of doing

so in seas nearby japan and japan needs to take action. to protect the lives and the peaceful livelihood and every day lives of people we do not have sufficient legislation to do that at this -- for this -- at this moment to protect the safe and happy lives of the japanese people. that is the government's greatest responsibility. and given that in order to fulfill this responsibility, the legislative provisions are necessary. of course we do not, if such things never happen that's the best. but if such events do occur we need to be prepared and that's our big responsibility. and i will explain such things in an easy-to-understand way and i will explain very attentively

and thoroughly what the legislation is all about and in the speech i gave in congress last month, i said that i will put in place legislation, specific legislation in place by summer, but since the general election three years ago as the president of the party and as the party, we have made a public promise to put in place and develop legislation related to national security. in particular, in the last general election based on the cabinet decision rendered on july 1st last year i said that we would develop security related legislation based on that cabinet decision and we sought the verdict of the public the mandate of the

public. so it is not as if we are doing something without declaring anything or promising or saying anything in the election. i think that can be understand. we have said the same thing. we have made the same promise in three elections, and following the july 1st cabinet decision last year in the general election, we said that we would be taking measures to put, to develop legislation and on december 24th the third abe cabinet which is formed after the general election in the news conference i gave after, just after that i said that the security related legislation, i will aim for enactment in the ordinary session of the diet and i said that clearly to the japanese people. in the plenary session in the upper house of counselors in

february of this year in the question and answer session i said twice during that cabinet -- excuse me that diet session i would aim for enactment of the security related bills. so in the speech i made in congress i merely repeated what i had been telling everyone in the past. the bills which we will be submitted in the ruling coalition we held 25 discussion sessions and prior to that we had discussions conducted by experts and academics and scholars. therefore, we think that these are the best bills and the diet deliberations are still to take place and what will take place in parliament i would like to refrain from commenting on as the government. but as the government through

diet deliberations, we hope that the members of diet will make an effort to have the diet members understand how necessary these bills are. now you're aiming to enact the bill within the diet session but after the enactment is there any activities that you are considering? for example, amongst the pko activities conducted around the world, would you be expanding your activities based on the revision of the law, and in the south china sea china is now building bases around the islands and the united states is now considering sending reconnaissance planes and vessels to that area. is there any possibility you

conduct joint activities with the united states and also the coalition forces including the united states are conducting sweeping operations against the islamic state. do you think there will be a possibility of japan conducting rear area support. now if there's any refugees coming out of the conflict areas, if the u.s. vessels are transporting them and the u.s. vessel is attacked we cannot -- we could not defend that vessel until now but we are going to change that and the security situation is becoming very severe including terrorism as well as nuclear weapons pro proliferation. not only one country can defend itself. in that situation we will be cooperating internationally and our ally the united states to protect peace and stability of

the region and that is connected with us defending our peoples safe and peaceful lives. and in the pko activities if for example, other forces that we are conducting are pko activities together are endangered and ask for help we could not help them until now. and the sdf forces that are trying to transport japanese people, if those japanese are attacked by the terrorist forces we were not able to save them so we should change that situation and that is the intent of the bill. so for the safe and peaceful lives of japanese and this is the bills are intended to protect them. and after the enactment of the

bills, well even if they are enacted we do not have any intention of sending any sdf particularly at this point. for example, pko activities as you mentioned, we would like to effectively conduct our pko activities, for example, if the self-defense forces are dispatched to pko and there's an area where ngos are enacted and japanese peoples may be included in the ngo and they are requested to save them then we could go and rescue the japanese people and others. and so that function will improve in conducting pko and that is the way i would like you to understand. and so this is not an expansion of our activities. we are trying to make it more surely and more efficiently in saving the lives of the japanese

people. for example, in the south china sea, well yes, i am not aware of such u.s. intentions so i cannot comment. as for the islamic state, isil we will not engage ourselves in rear area support for the u.s. and coalition forces against islamic state. we are appreciated by our humanitarian aid to that area and we will be continuing our efforts in such support. >> you're watching special coverage of the news conference by japan's prime minister shinzo abe. his cabinet approved a set of bills including articles that

would allow the country to exercise collective self-defense. here to give us some insight is our political commentator. what are the factors compelling japan to go forward. >> the ever serious security environment for japan as the biggest reason for the review of japan security policy and the new legislation. he said that the environment includes threats from north korea, a neighboring area. north korea, he also said that the north korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles and the range of missiles now covers japan. and globally he said that there are more threats from terrorist groups and militant groups. he cited, he gave an example in japanese people became victims in algier area syria and tunisia. and under these circumstances he said that with the new security legislation, the sdf may be able to defend the country more

effectively, and this kind of new system will be determined to prevent further conflict. >> international cooperation has come up quite frequently. can you tell us a little bit more about that? >> abe said japan needs to work hard in order to play a more active role around the world based on what he calls proactive contribution to peace. the new security legislation would include bill for permanent law that would allow the dispatch of sdf units to assist international operations to maintain global peace. and as it stands now, the japanese government has to draw up new legislation each time it wants to send them overseas. well sometimes in the past sdf missions have been discontinued because of lack of support in the diet. he said that with this he

indicated with this new legislation, he wants japan to be, japan will be able to better contribute to the world peace seamlessly and without delay. >> okay. we're running out of time. were there any outstanding parts to abe's speech earlier that left an impression on you >> he said there's no possibility that japan will get involved in war. he said he also denied the possibility of supporting the fight against islamic state, an international fight with many countries. he said he will continue to support the background of moments such as refugee problems and these and he will never, he said that japan will never participate in contributing logistical support. >> thank you very much for your insight. we'll bring you more updates and

analysis throughout the day right here on nhk world. thanks for tuning in.d

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