Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said on Monday that the Japanese government is thinking to review its pledge not to use the missile defense system to defend allies, local media reported on Tuesday.

Shiozaki said on a press conference that Japan is to reconsider its 2003 statement in which it pledged to use the system only to defend itself, including "where the statement's point lies and how far it covers," the Japan Times said.

While the war-renouncing Constitution bans Japan from attacking an enemy for collective self-defense, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has earlier called for studying whether Japan can intercept a U.S.-targeted missile over its territory.

The December 2003 statement, issued when the Japanese government approved the introduction of U.S.-made missile defense systems in Japan, specified that the deployment is only for self- defense.

Source: Xinhua