April 29, 2015

"Japan's military is considering joining the United States in maritime air patrols in the South China Sea in response to China’s increasingly assertive pursuit of territorial claims, a Japanese and a US source familiar with the discussions said.

News of the deliberations came as Japan and the United States unveiled new defence guidelines during a visit to Washington by Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, reflecting his plans for Japan to take on a wider security role beyond the direct defence of its home islands."

Read more:

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/JZ72IKW8DwqgkqjDtFZjsK/Japan-mulls-joint-US-air-patrols-in-South-China-Sea-report.html