Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, understands that the Asian country must adopt this measure to reinforce national defense
Japan will relax its arms export rules in force for decades, government spokesman Minoru Kihara announced this Tuesday (21st, local date), in a change that paves the way for the sale of weapons abroad.
“With this partial revision of the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and related standards, it is now possible in principle to allow the transfer of defense equipment, including all finished products,” Kihara said at a press conference.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi maintains that Japan should relax its rules on arms exports to strengthen national defensewhile trying to boost the national arms industry as engine of economic growth.
“Until now, the transfer abroad of finished domestically manufactured products had been limited to search and rescue, transportation, surveillance and mine countermeasures. […]but, with this amendment, transfers of any defense equipment will, in principle, be possible”, published the director this Tuesday on the social network X.
Proponents of the policy change argue that it should further integrate the Asian archipelago into the international defense supply chain, as well as strengthen defense, diplomatic and economic ties with its allies, as regional instability grows.
Tokyo starred recent episodes of tension with China after Takaichi suggested that his country could intervene in the event of an attack on Taiwan, a democratically governed island that Beijing claims as part of its territory and has not ruled out retaking, including by force.
But the decision to relax regulations on arms sales has caused unrest among some sectors of Japanese public opinion, and critics accuse Takaichi of undermining the country’s history of pacifism since the end of World War II.
*With information from AFP
