Abe will send legislation to parliament next month - with the backing of his coalition partners virtually assuring its passage - allowing Japan to ship fuel and ammunition to American units anywhere, should Tokyo judge its national security to be at stake.
"If the Philippines were to clash with China, they would send an SOS to their ally the U.S.," said a policy expert in Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. "If the U.S. military were then to seek assistance from the Self Defense Forces, the question then becomes what Japan can do."
As part of a raft of bills to reform the country's security strategy, the parties in Abe's coalition have agreed to drop a restriction that has allowed Japan to provide ally the United States with logistical support only in "areas around Japan" - code for a conflict with North Korea.
Policymakers have avoided saying what areas would now be open for Japan's rearguard support, but three government officials and a ruling party lawmaker told Reuters the bills open up islands claimed by China and the Philippines as a possible future theater of operations for Japan's Self Defense Forces.
Read more at Reuters
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