Abe Vows to Pass Secrecy Law as Bill Erodes Cabinet’s Popularity
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to push through an unpopular bill strengthening Japan’s secrecy laws that will help him shore up security ties with the U.S. in a bid to counter China’s growing military muscle in the region.
The government’s approval rating fell 4 percentage points from a month ago to 49 percent, the first time it dropped below 50 percent since Abe’s election almost a year ago, according to a poll by the Asahi newspaper. Half of those surveyed opposed the secrecy bill that punishes leaks of government information with jail terms of as much as 10 years.