Japan’s security bills: some key questions

TOKYO: Japan’s parliament has approved legislation that will expand the role of its highly restricted military, opening up the possibility that it could fight abroad for the first time since World War II.

Advocates say the measure, passed in the early hours of Saturday, is vital to ensure Japan can respond to threats from an increasingly belligerent China and unstable North Korea, while opponents argue it will fundamentally alter the country’s pacifist character.