The Japanese government is known to have adopted a report saying Tokyo will not defend the disputed Dokdo islets under a bilateral security guarantee treaty with the U.S.

The leading Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun says the Cabinet adopted the report in a meeting Friday and will submit it to parliament.

The report says Dokdo is not within viewing distance of Japan and the U.S. is responsible for defending Japanese territory against military attacks on targets only within viewing distance.

The report is in response to a question by People's New Party lawmaker Akiko Kamei, who asked if Dokdo was within the area defended by the U.S. if Japan is attacked.