Japan's self-defensive posture to come under scrutiny in 2018

As Japan seeks to beef up its defenses in response to North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear and missile program, its long-held policy of sticking to a strictly self-defensive security posture will likely come under close scrutiny in 2018.In particular, a plan to acquire long-range cruise missiles capable of striking North Korea could set off heated debate in parliament next year, with critics viewing it as the latest move by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government to loosen postwar security constraints imposed under the pacifist Constitution.The plan was announced in December as part of th…READ FULL ARTICLE