TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government on Monday held the first meeting of a panel for discussions on how to strengthen Japan's intelligence capabilities including counterespionage legislation, amid concerns that such steps could lead to excessive surveillance of citizens.
The creation of a foreign intelligence agency is also on the agenda for the 17-member panel, which consists of scholars, media representatives and business leaders, government officials said.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at the meeting, which was partly open to the media, that there are a growing number of threats such as the leakage of advanced technologies, cyberattacks targeting the public and private sectors and disinformation campaigns from foreign countries aimed at swaying public opinion.
"Against this backdrop, boosting our nation's intelligence capabilities is essential to ensure people's safety and protect our national interests," she said, pledging to advance efforts to strengthen measures to prevent undue foreign interference and enhance capabilities to gather and analyze information from abroad.
Takaichi also said the government needs to design and publicize a "national intelligence strategy" as its mid- and long-term guidelines for intelligence activities.
Based on the outcome of discussions, her government aims to submit related bills to parliament during next year's ordinary session at the earliest, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Given fears that addressing foreign interference could lead to increased public surveillance, setting up a framework for democratic control to protect fundamental human rights is expected to be discussed. Standards of propriety and the scope of overseas intelligence activities will also be among topics in the panel talks.
Since Takaichi, known for her hawkish security views, took office last October, Japan has been ramping up its intelligence and counterespionage capabilities to address growing security threats posed by China, North Korea and Russia.
In July, the National Intelligence Council, chaired by the prime minister, and the National Intelligence Bureau, its secretariat, were launched after legislation to establish the council was enacted earlier this year.
Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party, said in their coalition agreement in October that they would create an independent intelligence agency modeled on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency by March 2028.
The two conservative parties also affirmed that they will seek the early enactment of laws on intelligence and counterespionage, including measures requiring foreign agents to register and disclose information about their activities.