Japan, US delay defense guideline revision

TOKYO - Japan and the United States announced Friday that they will delay the revision of their defense guidelines planned in the end of this year until the first half of 2015 so as to keep in step with Japan's legislation over the right to collective self-defense, according to local media.

The guideline revision is expected to come in May or later in 2015 as the government here is likely to submit relevant security legislation to a Diet session after nationwide local election slated for April, Japan's Kyodo News quoted a government official as saying.

Japan and its US ally said in an interim report in October that the two sides will expand the scope of cooperation between their forces by removing existing geographical limits and to ensure a "seamless" response amid the changing environment.

It also said the new guidelines will "appropriately" reflect Japan's reinterpretation of its pacifist war-renouncing Constitution in July to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to exercise the right of collective self-defense.

The two countries agreed last year to revise their defense cooperation guidelines, which define the role and mission of the SDF and the US military.