SAPPORO: Japan will strongly defend its sovereign territories if threatened by any nation, said a top defence official. Speaking on condition of anonymity, she said that Japan would exercise its rights to defend itself against any aggression to claim its occupied or uninhabited islands. “We are capable of resisting any attempt which uses unlawful (military) force,” she told the New Straits Times, in view of increased patrols by foreign vessels in the East Asian and South China Seas. The official, however, reiterated that Japan would remain a self-defence force and not conduct any offensive measures without provocation. “We hope other nations will exercise caution in an already volatile region in the Pacific and China Seas,” she said.

Source: New Strait Times February 12, 2020 12:45 UTC