Japan PM Abe: new security legislation would boost deterrence, decrease risk of war

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that bills approved by parliament earlier in the day allowing the military to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two would boost deterrence and decrease the risk of war. The planned changes, reflected in new U.S.-Japan defense guidelines unveiled last month, set the stage for Japan to play a bigger role in the bilateral alliance as Tokyo and Washington face challenges such as China's growing military assertiveness. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Edmund Klamann)