US and Japan agree security guide

The United States and Japan announced yesterday that they had approved the first changes in their regional security cooperation arrangements in almost 20 years. Under the new guidelines Japan agreed in principle to give key military support to US forces in an Asian crisis, including access to bases, while maintaining its ban on the use of offensive military might.

China, Korea and other countries in eastern Asia are wary of any offensive use of Japanese forces in the region despite tight restrictions in Japan's constitution against such deployment. - Reuters