TOKYO - The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the United States and Japan are expected to upgrade their joint operation plan for a possible contingency on the Korean Peninsula.

The Japanese newspaper said the countries agreed on military cooperation in case of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula, a missile attack on Japan or the launching of an operation to protect Taiwan from China.

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The Asahi Shimbun quoted local government officials as saying that under the new agreement the US would be authorized to launch attacks on North Korea from bases and ports in Japan.

In addition, the report said, Japanese and US officials will seek the cooperation of the police, local governments and the private sector in such functions as search and rescue operations for US military personnel, and providing and guarding bases and ports that would serve as operational hubs for the US military.

Some 50,000 American troops are regularly stationed in Japan as part of the existing alliance between the countries. The current plan is aimed at providing an answer to the threats made by North Korean, which carried out nuclear and long-range missile tests in 2006.

Talks scheduled for next month

A senior Japanese defense official confirmed that the two countries are examining “reactions to possible scenarios in the area,” and admitted that the North Korean nuclear threat and the tensions between China and Taiwan are “two key points” that raise Japan’s concerns.

According to the Kyodo news agency, during talks scheduled for next month Japan and the US are expected to discuss logistical aid to American troops in case of and armed conflict between Beijing and Taipei.

The reports of increased cooperation between Japan and the US come amid Tokyo’s efforts to raise its political and military profile overseas. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to alter the pacifistic Japanese constitution to allow more freedom to operate militarily overseas.