Japan's former Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Taku Yamasaki has expressed optimism on the possibility of deploying a missile defense system earlier than currently planned.
Yamasaki, chairman of the LDP Research Commission on Security, was speaking to reporters on July 25 after meeting with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage during his visit to Tokyo, the Jiji Press reported. Armitage had urged Japan to bring forward the deployment of its missile defense system and secure larger outlays for the system in the aftermath of North Korea's missile launches earlier this month.
At the meeting, Yamasaki said the Japanese government's plan to complete the deployment in six years. In response, Armitage said six years was too long and that Japan should discuss with the United States more about the inter-operability of their missile defense systems, the report said.
After the meeting, Yamasaki told reporters that he hoped the LDP would consider Armitage's proposal in its upcoming debate on the state budget for the next fiscal year starting in April 2007.
