Japan and the United States released an interim report on the update of their defense cooperation guideline here on Wednesday, in a bid to expand the scope of cooperation between their militaries by removing the existing geographical limits.

The report, which uses vague languages, says the updated guideline will reflect Japan's decision on collective self-defense appropriately.

In July, the Japanese government lifted a ban on collective self-defense by reinterpreting the Pacifist Constitution, an overhaul of Japan's exclusively defense-orientated security policy in postwar era.

But the decision, lacking exhaustive discussion, has triggered strong opposition both in Japan and abroad. Its neighbors, especially those who suffered Japan's aggression during World War II, fear that the move would undermine Japan's pacifist credo and bring security concerns to the area.

The report also said Tokyo and Washington will expand the scope of cooperation globally and will "take steps seamless from peacetime to contingencies."

The two sides eye a final revision of their mutual defense guideline by the year end, the first of this kind since 1997.

Regarding this new defense plan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said: "The Japan-U.S. alliance is a bilateral arrangement set up under specific historical conditions. It should not exceed its bilateral scope and should not harm the interests of third parties."

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