National Security Council (Japan)

National Security Council
国家安全保障会議
Kokka-anzen-hoshō-kaigi
Agency overview
Formed December 4, 2013 (2013-12-04)
Preceding agency
Jurisdiction  Japan
Headquarters 2-3-1 Nagata-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Parent agency Cabinet of Japan
Website www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/anzenhosyoukaigi/index.html

The National Security Council (国家安全保障会議 Kokka-anzen-hoshō-kaigi) of Japan is an inter-agency body established to coordinate the national security policies of Japan. An initiative of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, the Council replaces the previous Security Council and is modeled after the United States National Security Council.[1] It is headed by the country's National Security Advisor, currently Shotaro Yachi.[2]

History

Abe first attempted to establish an NSC in his first premiership in 2006–07, but the effort stalled in January 2008 when he stepped down from office.[3][1][4] The House of Representatives passed a bill to establish the Council on 7 November 2013,[5] and the House of Councillors followed suit on 27 November.[6]

The Council has its own national security advisor to the Prime Minister,[6] and is staffed by around 60 officials from the Foreign and Defense ministries.[7] There are six teams handling various issue areas, each headed by an official equivalent to a ministerial division chief.[8] One of its key functions is a regular conference with the Prime Minister, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and the Foreign and Defense ministers.[3] The office has hotlines to its American and British counterparts.[9]

Together with the publication of Japan's first National Security Strategy in December 2013, the NSC represents a centralization of Japanese security policy with the Prime Minister.[3] The old Security Council had been beset by bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of coordination.[1] The National Security Strategy advocates for the creation of an NSC because "the security environment surrounding Japan is further increasing in severity. ... [I]t is necessary for the entire Cabinet to work on the strengthening of foreign affairs and the security system of Japan."[4]

The Council met for the first time on 4 December 2013 to discuss the National Security Strategy and China's Air Defense Identification Zone.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Alexander Martin (21 November 2013). "Japan to Form Own National Security Council". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Meeting with Japan National Security Advisor Shotaro Yachi" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 J. Berkshire Miller (29 January 2014). "How Will Japan's New NSC Work?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Defense of Japan" (PDF). Ministry of Defense (Japan). 17 December 2013. p. 105. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Japan's lower house OKs bill to set up NSC". Xinhua News Agency. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Japanese 'NSC' scheduled to be launched next week". Yomiuri Shimbun. Asian News Network. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Japan launches U.S.-style National Security Council". Xinhua News Agency. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Katsuhisa Kuramae (8 January 2014). "New national security bureau faces rocky start". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Japan's NSC meets for first time, with ADIZ issue on agenda". Xinhua News Agency. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.