Japan intelligence bureau meets for first time
Japan's new National Intelligence Bureau met for the first time on Friday, launching a central body for collecting and analysing information on security and public safety.
The bureau was created under a bill enacted in May that upgraded an existing intelligence body. It will bring together information gathered by ministries and report to the newly created National Intelligence Council, headed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Japanese officials have said the country needs stronger intelligence capacity to deter foreign spying, prevent terrorism, protect sensitive technologies and improve national security.
The move follows criticism that Japan's espionage laws and enforcement are too weak. The New York Times reported this month that Russia had made Japan a major source of dual-use technology for its war in Ukraine, citing Ukrainian government estimates that 90 percent of Russian missiles and drones contain Japanese components.
Critics of Takaichi have warned that the expanded intelligence system could lead to government overreach and threaten individual freedom and privacy.
Uncertainty notes
The scale of foreign espionage activity in Japan and the extent of cybersecurity weaknesses are not independently established in the supplied information.
The reported Ukrainian estimate about Japanese components in Russian missiles and drones is attributed and not independently verified in the supplied information.
Whether the upgraded intelligence system will affect individual freedom or privacy remains a concern raised by critics, not an established outcome.
Source
AFP news report published on .