It expands the range of allowable logistical support, such as refueling fighter planes and transporting ammunition for US and other foreign military forces in multinational operations.

It enables allied interaction in "gray-zone" scenarios between armed conflict and peacetime law enforcement actions, in which swift and robust responses are required to secure the peace and security of Japan even when an armed attack against Japan is not involved.

It allows Japan's Self-Defense Forces to protect friendly nations' military assets, including warships of the US and "a foreign country in a close relationship with Japan".

With a global perspective, Japan has set its eyes on China. According to the 2016 defense white paper, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has established the 9th air wing at Naha air base in Okinawa, and its Ground Self-Defense Force formed a coast observation unit in Japan's westernmost inhabited Yonaguni Island in an attempt to deter China.

In March, Japan approved its record $44 billion defense budget for this year, the fourth straight annual increase under the country's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan will continue to attach great importance to its alliance to the US, trying to develop seamless military cooperation. By the year 2020, 60 percent of the American forces will be deployed in the Asia-Pacific region.

The white paper criticized the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for continuing provocative military actions such as conducting its fourth nuclear test in January and repeatedly launching ballistic missiles since February.

It said that given technological maturity through the DPRK's previous four nuclear tests, it could be possible that the country has achieved the miniaturization of nuclear weapons and has developed nuclear warheads.

Considering the DPRK's launch of a ballistic missile, purported to be a "satellite" in February and its launch of Musudan in June, the country seems to have been further advancing its overall development of ballistic missiles.