2023-06-27 01:38:00
original title:
Japanese media: The Japanese government is trying to secretly change the scope of arms exports
In 2014, Japan revised the “Three Principles for Arms Exports” it had long adhered to since the end of World War II, and changed it to “Three Principles for the Transfer of Defense Equipment.”
According to Kyodo News, a person familiar with the matter revealed on the 25th that the Japanese government told the ruling party that although Japan has strict regulations on arms exports, the export of non-combat vehicles and ships equipped with lethal weapons does not violate the law.
Examples of such products by the Japanese government include Japanese Self-Defense Force reconnaissance vehicles and minesweepers equipped with automatic cannons, Kyodo News quoted sources as saying. The source quoted the Japanese government as saying that Japan can export equipment to countries with security cooperation, as long as the equipment is used for rescue, transportation, security, surveillance or mine clearance.
Kyodo News reported that according to Japan’s previous explanations, except for joint development and production, defense equipment carrying lethal weapons cannot be exported. But the Japanese government explained to the Liberal Democratic Party and the ruling coalition Komeito at a meeting in May that lethal defense equipment might be exported because there is no clear ban in law, sources said. Japanese Defense Minister Yasuichi Hamada said his government would decide whether to transfer lethal weapons “on a case-by-case basis” given that the issue was not mentioned in the guidelines for implementing the three principles. Kyodo News analyzed that the Japanese government tried to secretly change the scope of arms exports without explaining to the Japanese people.
The extent to which Japan may expand the range of equipment that can be transferred has become the focus of attention as Western countries strengthen their military support for Ukraine. In March of this year, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that he planned to revise the regulations on restricting the transfer of weapons to Ukraine in the “Three Principles of Defense Equipment Transfer”.
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