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Mr Abe addressed 180 Self-Defence Force (SDF) officers and explained the security threat has grown at a much faster pace in recent years and implied Japan must make room for the building up of military forces. These comments come just days after Japan and the US held military drills in the contested South China Sea, in a move that is likely to alienate the Chinese government as tensions between the countries escalate. Mr Abe said: “Arranging an environment where all SDF personnel can fulfil their duties with strong pride is the responsibility of politicians living in the present. “I am determined to fully carry out my duty."

The speech was delivered just three weeks to go before the leadership election of the ruling party, the Liberal Democrat Party, which Mr Abe is expected to win. If the predictions come to fruition, Mr Abe will soon be Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister. Tensions bubbling up between Japan and China, especially regarding islands in the South China Sea which they both lay claim to, and fears about North Korea’s nuclear capability may push the Japanese government to amend its pacifist constitution that has been in place since 1947. Although Mr Abe’s speech yesterday did not directly mention amending the constitution, he has said repeatedly in the last year that he wants to add an explicit reference to the SDF in the constitution's war-renouncing Article 9.

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If this change was made, it would not be possible for anyone to declare Japan’s military “unconstitutional”. Currently, there is significant debate on the legitimacy of the SDF, which Mr Abe describes as “thoughtless criticism”. Last month, the Japanese Prime Minister asserted his government should submit constitutional revisions to an extraordinary Diet session expected to take place in the autumn - Diet being Japan’s legislature. Yesterday’s speech also emphasised the need to review the country’s defence build-up guidelines drawn up five years ago, which could allow for the further building up of arms.

DigitalGlobe imagery of the Subi Reef in the South China Sea