The outline, which spells out basic guidelines for Japan’s defense policies, is reviewed by the government once every five years and had been revised in 1995 and in 2004 to meet changes in the international military environment, the paper said.

The government initially planned to make only minor changes to the 2004 defense policy outline in the next fiscal year beginning in April 2009.

But it decided to set up a new policy outline to signal more clearly the need for Japan to develop its defense capability amid China’s military buildup, which is proceeding at a pace far beyond Japan’s initial forecast, the Yomiuri said, without citing sources.

The government will launch a panel of experts to discuss the changes and hopes to have the new outline approved at a Cabinet meeting by the end of next year, the paper said.

The Yomiuri also said the Japanese, Chinese and South Korean governments plan to launch an annual trilateral summit later this year to help solve regional problems such as North Korea’s nuclear development programs.

The three countries are negotiating to hold the first meeting in Japan around autumn this year, the paper said.

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