Kolkata, Oct 18 (IANS): Branding China's claim of Japan's "return to militarisation" as "exaggerations", Japanese ambassador to India Takeshi Yagi Saturday said here that its new security policy can in fact help countries which are "close friends", like India and the US, in the event of an attack.

Japan's decision to adopt a new policy of "collective self-defence" enabling its military to engage in a wider range of operations has come under fire from China.

"Such criticism has been continuously raised by China but when you look at their military budget...its substantial...

"Suppose country X is about to attack the US vessels in the vicinity of Japan and there are Japanese vessels...so far we do not help the US vessels, but with the new legislation next year, we can take some measures...so this is one part of it.

"This is not return to any militarisation, this is an exaggeration and misinterpretation, we will stick to the path of peace," Yagi said at a lecture at the Observer Research Foundation here.

Yagi stressed that Japan does not attempt to "send out forces everywhere".

"Only in limited cases...particularly when a close friend of Japan is attacked or in international peace co-operation," he stressed, adding as an example how the new policy could help Indian personnel in South Sudan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan in Aug-Sep, his first bilateral visit outside India's immediate neighbourhood, saw both countries welcoming the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation and Exchanges in the Field of Defence.

During his visit to Japan, Modi stressed that when the 21st century is said to be an Asian century, Asia's future direction will shape the world's destiny and that the Japan-India relationship will have a global impact.

"All these statements and steps show the network of security co-operation is becoming more and more intensive and substantial...one of the most important developments which underpins the importance of Indo-Pacific regional co-operation," Yagi said.