Japan's move to amend constitution worries neighbors

BEIJING - Asian neighbors are concerned, due to historical reasons, with Japan's move to amend its constitution, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

Liu Weimin made the remarks at a regular news briefing amid concerns that the Japanese government considered resuming the country's right to exercise so-called "collective self-defense."

"We believe that it's in line with Japan's own fundamental interests as well as conducive to peace, stability and development of the region that Japan adheres to the path of peaceful development," he said.

On Thursday, the Republic of Korea said it was closely watching Japan's move to possibly end a decades-old withdrawal of collective self-defense.

Media reports said that a Japanese government panel had proposed to reinterpret its pacifist constitution to recognize the country's right to exercise collective self-defense.

The panel demanded that Japan should have the right to exercise collective self-defense when the country or its allies are under attack, according to the reports. This would be a violation of Japan's current constitution.