According to chief government spokesman Yoshi-hide Suga, the ruling parties are in the final stage of coordination to change the interpretation of Japan's pacifist constitution. Under the charter's Article 9, Japanese armed forces can take action only to defend the country. But the new reading will let the military fight on behalf of Tokyo's allies. The prospects of a more aggressive military stance have faced growing opposition at home. On Sunday, a man set himself ablaze at a busy Tokyo intersection in a rare show of protest. The shift is also expected to deepen tensions between Japan and China over a chain of islands, which they both claim.