(VOVworld) – Japan’s parliament passed contentious security bills into law on Saturday to allow its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to operate overseas.
The move marked a big change in Japan’s security policy, clearing the way for Japan to deploy troops abroad for the first time since World War II.
The bill was approved after opposition lawmakers tried to physically prevent the vote. With the purpose to increase Japan’s ally relation with the US, the bills allow the Japanese SDF to engage in armed conflicts overseas even if Japan is not attacked. In addition, the new law allows SDF to provide logistic support for foreign armies in international peace-keeping activities.