In an annual defence white paper published by the Defence Agency on July 6, the Japanese Government expounded on its basic views about the current international security situation and summed up its defence policy over the past year.

It also states that it intends to make some substantive adjustments of its defence policy in its new defence programme outline, which is expected to be enacted by the end of this year.

By saying the proliferation of ballistic missiles and terrorist attacks present two main threats to Japan's security, the latest white paper has clearly demonstrated Tokyo's strong interest in a missile defence system and a shift in its definition of defence.

As early as December of last year, the Japanese Government made a formal decision to construct a missile defence shield starting next year. In March of this year, Japan's Congress approved the appropriation of 100 billion yen (US$930 million) from the country's defence budget to fund the development of such a system.

According to the Defence Agency, Japan should develop its missile defence programme in stages. The first step, it said, is to improve the interception capability of the country's Aegis destroyers equipped in its Maritime Self-Defence Forces (SDF) and the missile troops of its Air SDF by 2007. Then, Japan will complete an overall missile defence system by 2011. The goal, if realized by that time, will make Japan the first Asian country capable of effectively intercepting medium-range missiles.

It is also Japan's long-held national policy to participate in a US-dominated missile defence system.

The new defence white paper acknowledged that Japan's involvement in Washington's ambitious missile shield programme, which means Japan is likely to export some weapons or their parts to the United States, will possibly contravene the country's decades-old principles on weapons exports ban.

Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, adopted in 1967, explicitly enshrines principles banning arms exports to foreign countries.

To give a green light to the development and deployment of such a shield, the Japanese Government is considering revision of the decades-old laws related with its weapons exports ban.

To satisfy the SDF's long-pursued wishes to expand its international survival space, the white paper stressed that the tasks the SDF has faced have radically changed with the end of the Cold War and the extension of international disputes. It thus argued that the SDF should be well prepared to deal with a large number of potential emergency situations or take part in various international missions at the invitation of the United States.

The fact is that Japan has worked toward this end for many years.

The Japanese Government's plan to send Japanese troops to Iraq best demonstrates this.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has not given up the dispatch decision although it was strongly opposed by a large percentage of Japanese citizens and it even negatively influenced his domestic approval ratings.

With the US transfer of Iraqi sovereignty to Iraqis, Japan's SDF has become a component of the multinational troops stationed in the Middle East country. That signals Tokyo has made an important step forward towards its dream of expanding its international survival room.

The latest white paper has not only justified the Japanese army dispatch to Iraq, but has also left room for the country's further policy adjustments in the future.

In recent years, Japan has rapidly beefed up its military power by taking advantage of its military alliance with the United States and holding high the banner of participating in international security affairs.

According to a new defence programme, Japan should comprehensively improve the combat ability of its SDF.

Its land SDF should be capable of dealing with a nuclear, biological and chemical war, its marine SDF be capable of enduring a long-distance sea war, and its air SDF be equipped with the most advanced missiles-intercepting systems, the programme said.

That clearly demonstrates that Japan has extended its SDF's combat area from its native land to surrounding regions or to regions far beyond.

Its precondition for use of force has also changed from "after its being invaded by enemies" to "under threats from enemies."

Notably, some in Japan have shown much interest in the US-advocated "pre-emptive" military strategy while snubbing the country's long-held "defensive" strategy. The shift of the military strategy has been demonstrated by Japan's overseas missions in recent years.

Even before Tokyo's dispatch of its SDF to Iraq, the Defence Agency promulgated a guideline on the SDF's combat with enemies. It said the SDF can carry out a pre-emptive strike against alleged threatening targets in the process of its missions, showing the initial establishment of its pre-emptive strategy.

The annual white paper once again expressed particular concern over China's normal military build-up.

It not only listed the figures of China's military spending, but also said China's military is developing from a quantity-oriented to a quality-oriented direction.

Thus the white paper reminded the Japanese Government and its populace they should care about whether China's military build-up has made Japan's self-defence capability ineffective.

But the Japanese Government's attempt to dodge international criticisms of its own military upgrade by deliberately exaggerating other countries' military strength can not conceal its military ambitions.

The Defence Agency's overstated description of China's military strength is reminiscent of the Pentagon's annual assessment of China's military power released a month ago.

Just like the Pentagon's, Tokyo's latest paper is also the work of a Cold War mentality.

As an influential country in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan's desire to play a larger role in the international community is understandable.

But Japan should hammer home that its development into a "normal country" should only be based upon a correct attitude towards historical issues.

Its lack of courage to recognize the damage caused by its past war of aggression towards its neighbours will forever be an insurmountable obstacle to its efforts to become a "normal country."

Wang Baofu, deputy of the Institute of Strategic Studies under the National Defence University