Japan to Remain Pacifist Nation: 2015 Diplomatic Bluebook

Tokyo, April 7 (Jiji Press)--Japan will continue to be a pacifist nation, as it has been since World War II, while contributing to world peace, stability and prosperity more proactively than ever, the 2015 Diplomatic Bluebook said Tuesday. The annual report on foreign policy was submitted at the day's cabinet meeting, at a time when the country's Asian neighbors are leery of an upcoming statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. The country's no-war pledge based on deep remorse for the last war lies at the foundation for being a pacifist nation, the bluebook emphasized. Japan has continued efforts to achieve reconciliation with other Asian countries and build new relationships with them, it also stressed. At the same time, the bluebook expressed the Abe administration's resolve to strengthen the country's international contribution under the banner of "proactive pacifism." The government and the ruling coalition are working to enact new national security legislation following cabinet approval last July of the government's new constitutional interpretation lifting the country's self-imposed ban on collective self-defense. The 2015 bluebook shortened the description of South Korea from the 2014 edition, calling it Japan's most important neighbor but stopping short of noting that the two countries share basic values such as freedom and democracy. A stable relationship between Japan and China is indispensable for regional peace and stability, the bluebook said. But it raised concerns over China's expanding military and maritime activities. Referring to the killing of two Japanese hostages by the Islamic State extremist group earlier this year, the bluebook clarified the country's commitment to the international fight against terrorism. The official English version of the bluebook will be published later, for the first time in nine years, in line with the government's efforts to boost its publicity abroad. END