Japan ramping up defence is 'critical' to prevent war, Defence Minister Koizumi tells BBC

Japan must "strengthen its defence capabilities", Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told the BBC, emphasising the need to revisit the pacifist posture that has defined the country since World War Two.

He said boosting defence, "reinforcing its alliance with the United States, and expanding collaboration with like-minded countries" was part of "building multi-layered deterrence critical for ensuring that no new war breaks out in this region".

He spoke of the recent changes in Japan's defence policy, such as relaxing decades-old arms export rules.

For the first time in about 50 years, Tokyo can now sell or transfer defence equipment and lethal weapons to the 17 countries with which it has signed formal agreements, including the US and the UK.

"Australia has selected Japanese war ships. Discussions are under way with the Philippines for used destroyers from Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force. We are in deep talks with Indonesia, and New Zealand has also showed interest in acquiring Japanese destroyers," Koizumi explained in a sit-down interview at his office in Tokyo.

"This vision of trading equipment and assets throughout the Indo-Pacific is something we have never seen before."

Defence is among the top priorities for the current administration, which has committed to historic spending increases and argues these reforms are needed in what is now an increasingly tense region.

China has emerged as a formidable global player, and North Korea's nuclear ambitions, which have seen it test-fire ballistic missiles over Japan, show no signs of slowing down.