Japan, which is trying to strengthen information collection activities through the creation of the National Intelligence Service, called the “Japanese version of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is also considering using fake passports, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
Citing government and ruling party officials, the newspaper said that the Japanese government, which plans to establish an external intelligence agency by the end of next year, is considering making intelligence collectors use their status as the most secure when working abroad.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae referred to the legislation to create the National Intelligence Council as “one of the tasks to be studied” in the first deliberation held by the upper house (the Senate) the day before.
Sankei said the patriarchal status of intelligence agents is used in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Russia.
In Japan, status is most used when investigating criminal involvement such as illegal part-time jobs. Strengthening national intelligence gathering activities is one of Prime Minister Takaichi’s signature policies, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the ruling coalition Japan Restoration Association agreed to create a national intelligence bureau, enact anti-spying laws, and establish a foreign intelligence agency to strengthen intelligence gathering activities when the coalition was established in October.
Japan, which does not have an intelligence agency such as South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, is trying to establish a National Intelligence Conference consisting of nine ministers, including the chairman of the National Public Security Commission, the chief cabinet secretary, the attorney general, and the foreign minister, to give the country’s intelligence-gathering function as a head coach.
Legislation related to the establishment of the National Intelligence Council, such as the National Intelligence Council, passed the House of Representatives (House of Representatives) last month, and the House of Representatives is likely to pass.
The National Intelligence Service, which is the secretariat of the National Intelligence Council, is expected to play a key role in collecting national information as it can request information collected by each agency, including the Cabinet Office, the National Police Agency, the Foreign Ministry, and the Public Security Investigation Agency.
The National Intelligence Service plans to launch as early as July, the equivalent of the Cabinet Intelligence Investigation Office, an intelligence agency directly under the Prime Minister, and expand the number of additional personnel.
In a recent interview with Japanese media, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Geira said that with the establishment of the Japanese version of the CIA, he will also accelerate the development of professional talents who are in charge of information collection and analysis.
At a plenary session of the upper house on the 8th, Prime Minister Takaichi criticized foreign forces’ maneuvering, saying, “It is a security threat and threatens the foundation of democracy, such as fair elections and free reporting.”
He added that the activities of local civic groups are not included in the survey.
At the meeting, the Constitutional Democratic Party called for the bill to include regulations that regularly report activities such as the National Intelligence Service to the National Assembly, fearing personal information violations and intensifying state surveillance.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
