By AFP and Focus | 2026-03-02

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling party has approved plans to beef up the country's intelligence capability, a party official said February 27, as the premier pushes ahead with a defense overhaul.

Newly empowered after a landslide victory in snap elections last month, Takaichi has vowed to make Japan "strong and prosperous" through key policy changes including in defense and intelligence.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on February 24 that Japan intends to deploy surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island by fiscal 2030. The island, part of Okinawa prefecture, sits just 110km east of Taiwan. The move is part of a broader defense buildup covering Japan's southwestern islands.

The plans come as a months-long diplomatic row between Japan and China over comments Takaichi made on Taiwan rumbles on.

Upgrading intelligence gathering

Takaichi, in response to the worsening relations with China, is seeking to enhance her country's intelligence gathering.

The proposal, agreed on by the intelligence strategy headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), includes establishing an upgraded intelligence bureau and strengthening "foreign intelligence collection capabilities," an LDP official told AFP.

It calls for a mandatory registration system for foreign agents -- such as individuals and corporations lobbying within Japan on behalf of other governments -- as part of counterintelligence measures.

The plan, which includes a ban on the use of mobile phones in key government buildings, is expected to be submitted to Takaichi this week, the Asahi Shimbun and other local media reported.

"One of the central pillars of the major policy shift (under Takaichi) is a fundamental strengthening of intelligence," LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi said at the meeting February 26 where participants approved the plans.

"Simply creating an organization on paper is utterly meaningless; the question is how we can turn it into a truly living, functioning body," he said.

Separately, the LDP February 25 proposed changes to Japan's stringent rules on exporting military equipment so as to enable exports of lethal weapons, local reports said.

However, the LDP official could not immediately confirm the proposal.

Revising national security policy

Takaichi has said that she plans to revise three key national security policy documents this year to reflect the changing security environment.

Notably, the premier, seen as a China hawk before taking office in October, suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force.

China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious.

It summoned Tokyo's ambassador and warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan. In December J-15 jets from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft near Okinawa, according to Japan.

Takaichi has vowed to steadfastly protect Japanese territory, territorial waters and airspace.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the Munich Security Conference last month that forces in Japan were seeking to "revive militarism."

While Takaichi has said in parliament that she will not change the rules, local media have reported that she is considering allowing US nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, a revision to the country's non-nuclear principles.