CRI听力:Japan's Ruling Coalition Approves to Expand Military Role

The bills are proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of which he is a member.

It allows the Japanese government to deploy Japan Self-Defense Forces, or SDF, abroad to engage in armed conflicts overseas and help defend others even if Japan is not attacked, or exercise the right to collective defense.

Teng Jianqun, a researcher with the China Institute of International Studies explains further.

"Under the bills, Japan can dispatch its Self-Defense Forces overseas to directly engage in armed conflicts without any time and space limits. Japan has changed its military's defensive nature. This violates Article 9 of the pacifist Constitution, which bans the Self-Defense Forces from combating abroad and using the collective defense right".

Jun Okumura, a political analyst with the Meiji Institute for Global Affairs, says the security bills go against Japan's constitution.

"Most of Japan's constitutional scholars strongly believe that the interpretations are unconstitutional and it has caused more general, broader fear among the Japanese public. It is not a constitutional interpretation in the whole. It is a complex of legislation and could somehow drive Japan into a war."

Ruan Zongze, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies says that Abe's act could seriously harm Sino-Japanese relations.

"Earlier some media reported that Abe clearly stated that his proposal of the security bills is aimed at China. He takes the approval of security bills as a method to counter China. This move won't help improve the current Sino-Japanese relationship or strengthen bilateral cooperation."

The bills will now be handed to the upper house for discussion.

The ruling camp enjoys two thirds of seats in the lower house.

This means that if the upper house vetoes the bills, they could also be enacted in a new poll in the lower house by securing over two thirds of support.

The forcible passage of the bills followed a protest of over 100,000 people around the Diet building after the bills were passed in a special committee at the lower house on Wednesday.

The latest poll released Tuesday showed that about 56 percent of the Japanese population opposed the bills, while only 26 percent showed their support.

For CRI, I'm XYee.

Hundreds of protestors have attended a rally in Tokyo on Thursday as Japan's lower house of parliament approved legislation that will allow an expanded role for the nation's military.

Katsuya Okada, leader of opposition Democratic Party of Japan, says the revisions violate Japan's pacifism.

"If we allow the security bills to be forced through without much debate, Japan will be taking a very big step towards becoming a country, as envisioned by the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), that can easily use military power abroad."　

Kokuta Keiji, a lower house member of the Japanese Communist Party who opposes the bills, says that Abe and members of the ruling party have ignored the questions they have posed about the constitutionality of the bills.

"They cannot directly answer my questions. If they were to answer my questions, the flaws in the bills would become apparent. The Liberal Democratic Party and government's approach has been to say something to change the subject or delay the discussion. These non-committal responses alarm people who reflect on what happened during the Second World War."

Yoo Chang-ho with South Korea's Foreign Ministry also says they will not accept Japan's new security bills if they negatively affect their national interest.

"The South Korean government's position on Japan's defence policy is that Japan should adhere to the spirit of peaceful constitution and discuss the issue in a transparent way that contributes to maintaining peace and stability. Particularly, we are in a firm, consistent position that does not accept any policy terms (negatively) affecting our state interests."

The legislation now moves to the upper chamber of parliament for further debate and a vote within 60 days.