Japan's revision of its defense policy for 2005 to 2009 — announced by Japanese Defense Minister Yoshinori Ono — includes research on a ballistic missile intended to counter an invasion of its remote islands. Such a missile also would have the capability to hit targets on the Asian mainland, such as North Korea, Shanghai and Beijing, and would dramatically escalate the missile race in East Asia. The move toward a pre-emptive or offensive capability has been considered in earnest since the August 1998 launch of North Korea's Taepodong missiles, which flew over Japanese territory. The significance of Japan's policy change is the pace with which new technologies and capabilities geared toward an offensive capability are being considered in defense planning. The Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from using its armed forces for anything other than defense. Japanese intentions to develop ballistic missiles, along with other provisions in the National Defense Program Outline that would enable Japan to project power regionally, signal Japan's turning away from its defensive policy while holding on to the "Peace Constitution" as a cover. Since the end of World War II, Japan's defense policy was based solely on a defensive posture, with no ability to attack or conduct pre-emptive strikes in the region. With memories of World War II-era Japanese brutality in mind, many countries in East Asia often have expressed concern over the prospect of Japan becoming more militarily active in the region. The remote islands Ono said would be protected under the proposed defense plan are most likely the southern Ryukyu Islands, which have been the scene of recent Japanese military deployments and Chinese submarine incursions. In an internal meeting Nov. 7, the Japanese Defense Agency identified China as a potential enemy and established three scenarios of possible attacks against Japan by Chinese forces. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) also has been shifting its force concentration from northern Japan, where old Cold War doctrine was concerned with threats from the Soviet Union. Japanese forces have been realigning toward southern Japan, Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, closer to China and Taiwan. Japan and China also are engaged in an ongoing dispute over nearby natural gas fields and the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Japan is concerned about other powers' missile development in the region, and will seek to develop a policy of missile defense and pre-emptive strike capability to mitigate threats from China and North Korea. In October, a defense advisory panel recommended to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that Japan consider adopting the capabilities to support a strategy of pre-emptive strikes. The recent National Defense Program Outline seems to confirm that Japan will adopt such a strategy. This change in Japanese defense policy comes amid concerns over North Korean nuclear and missile development and strained relations with China. In November, JSDF units spotted and pursued a Chinese Han class submarine in Japanese territorial waters off Okinawa. Twelve days later, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile, Koizumi's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao was less than amicable. Japan is the most recent Asian country to join in the regional missile race. Although the Japanese have had a commercial space lift capability for decades, they have been kept out of ballistic missile development by political considerations. These considerations are no longer an obstacle, and Koizumi's government sees Japan's new policy as more realistic in the context of the regional security climate — in which China, Taiwan and North Korea have either fielded or are developing ballistic missiles. Japan's escalation of the missile race, coupled with turning away from its pacifist defense policy, is cause for major concern in the region. In the climate of increasing missile proliferation in Asia, China already has acquired the S-300P (SA-10 "Grumble") anti-missile system from Russia and likely will continue to expand this capability in response to the latest development from Japan.