NNA - An update of Japan's long-term defence policy to be unveiled next month will call for stronger air and maritime surveillance capabilities and the improved ability to defend far-flung isles as concerns rise about China's growing military assertiveness, Reuters reported.



The policy review, in the works since hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office last December, is being finalised as tensions mount between Japan and China over tiny islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.



"The security environment surrounding our country has become increasingly grave," said a draft outline of the policy shown to ruling party lawmakers and obtained by Reuters on Thursday. "China is proceeding with wide-ranging and rapid modernisation of its military strength and expanding and stepping up activities in the sea and air surrounding Japan," the draft said.



It also cited concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes and Russia's military modernisation.



Tensions have ratcheted up since Beijing announced a new airspace defense zone on Saturday that includes the skies over the long-disputed islands and said planes flying in the area would have to notify Chinese authorities. Japan and its ally the United States have sharply criticised the move.



On Thursday, the policy panel of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party approved a resolution demanding China rescind the new defence zone, saying the unilateral move reflected "unreasonable expansionism". But the resolution dropped the more inflammatory expression "premodern and imperialist expansionism" contained in an earlier draft.



Japan's new defence program, an update of a defence posture last reviewed in 2010 under the now-opposition Democratic Party, would strengthen the military's monitoring capability to ensure air and maritime safety as well as improving intelligence-gathering capabilities, the draft said.


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