Washington DC [US], July 13 (ANI): Japan is undertaking an ambitious effort to establish its first centralised intelligence agency since World War II, seeking guidance from Western Allies including the United States, Australia and Germany amid growing security threats from China, Russia and North Korea, the New York Times (NYT) reported.
According to the NYT, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government has privately consulted partners in recent months on issues including technology, staffing and operational priorities for the proposed intelligence agency.
The news report said that intelligence officials from the United States have provided input on cyber defence systems, countering industrial espionage, and strengthening scrutiny of foreign investments and agents operating in Japan.
Germany has also joined the discussions, with the head of the country’s foreign intelligence service (BND) recently visiting Tokyo to discuss the planned agency and ways to enhance intelligence-sharing between the two countries, the news report said.
Australia has advised Japan on technology as well as strategies to improve coordination among government ministries and encourage intelligence sharing, according to The New York Times.
The news report noted that Japan’s intelligence system has traditionally been fragmented, with defence officials, diplomats, police and other agencies collecting and analysing information separately, limiting coordination and leaving the country vulnerable to espionage and foreign interference.
The proposed agency forms part of Prime Minister Takaichi’s broader push to strengthen Japan’s national security architecture as Tokyo faces increasing challenges from China, Russia and North Korea.
The New York Times said that Takaichi has already lifted restrictions on weapons export and advanced Japan’s largest post-war defence build-up. Her government is now seeking to bolster protection of state secrets, critical technologies and counter foreign influence operations, particularly those attributed to China.
The news report cited researchers at the Citizen Lab as saying that China has created websites posing as Japanese-language news outlets to spread pro-Beijing disinformation.
Andrew Shearer, Australia’s ambassador to Japan and former director-general of national intelligence, told the New York Times that Japanese officials believe that the country’s intelligence capabilities have “been frozen in time for decades.”
“It’s a big thing that the prime minister has chosen to make it a priority,” he said, “and that she is investing the political capital to get it done.”
The Japanese government declined to comment on whether it was seeking assistance from foreign governments to establish the agency, saying only that it “maintains close cooperation with counterparts in relevant countries regularly,” according to the New York Times. (ANI)
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