Despite being a U.S. ally, Japanese troops are not part of a U.S.-led coalition protecting Middle East waterways, because Tokyo wants to maintain neutrality in a show of consideration to Tehran.
The U.S. was the first country mentioned in the document's opening section about "prominent destabilizing factors" and "profound changes" in the international security environment.
Government officials work in a shiny new office block that was an $11 million gift from China. Dozens of bureaucrats take all-expenses-paid training trips to Beijing each year.
The ministry didn't name the vessel, but Russian media reported it was the country's most secret submersible, a nuclear-powered research submarine called the Losharik intended for sensitive missions at great depths.
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