Japan Govt Outlines New National Intelligence Committee

Tokyo, March 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government will establish a planned new national intelligence committee by upgrading the current Cabinet Intelligence Committee, in order to strengthen the control tower functions for its intelligence activities, it was learned Wednesday. To be chaired by the prime minister, the new committee will be responsible for countering espionage activities by foreign agents, in addition to collecting and analyzing information. The government plans to submit related legislation to the Diet, Japan’s parliament, with the aim of establishing the new body in summer. Comprising the revamped committee will be the prime minister, the chief cabinet secretary, the financial services minister, the justice minister, the foreign minister, the finance minister, the economy, trade and industry minister, the land, transport, infrastructure and tourism minister, the defense minister and the head of the National Public Safety Commission. The number of members will be increased or reduced depending on topics. The upgraded committee will discuss and set out basic policies for important intelligence activities regarding security and terrorism as well as for countermeasures against espionage activities by foreign agents, such as influence operations. Under the legislation, government agencies and ministries will be obliged to present necessary data and materials to the new committee. Also, a national intelligence bureau will be set up to serve as the secretariat for the new committee, replacing the current Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. The planned bureau will gather and analyze information, as well as coordinating intelligence activities across ministries and agencies. The chief of the new bureau will be on par with the secretary-general of the National Security Secretariat. Enhancing intelligence activities is a signature policy of the Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, which is eager to establish an intelligence agency and antiespionage legislation. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]