Japan is looking into requiring people who lobby on behalf of foreign governments to register as foreign agents under a new law, which would also contain penalties for covert interference in the country’s policymaking and elections.

The proposal emerged on Monday at a meeting of an expert panel on boosting Japan’s intelligence capabilities, part of a broader push to develop legislation to counter espionage and foreign interference.

Once the proposal is finalized, a related bill is expected to be submitted to parliament as early as during next year’s session.

Under the plan, people acting on behalf of foreign governments would have to register with relevant authorities to make their activities transparent.…