Shangri-La dialogue: Japan PM Abe to urge security role
Japan will push for a greater role in Asian security at a regional summit on Friday, in a move set to anger China, the BBC reported.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to promote Japan as a counterbalance to China at the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
The summit involves the US and Asean countries, and comes amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea between China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Japan-China ties are also strained over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Mr Abe will give the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is also known as the Asia Security Summit, on Friday evening.
He is expected to set out a vision of Japan and its ally, the US, playing a greater role in security co-operation in Asia.
Regional defence officials, and US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, will be at the event.