Japan To Relax Ban On Arms Exports

TOKYO (Nikkei)--The Japanese government decided Saturday to relax its rules on arms exports to allow more joint development and production of weapons with other nations and enable shipments to countries with which Japan co-develops arms.

The move is aimed at reducing procurement costs and stimulating the domestic defense industry by promoting joint development and production of key arms, such as next-generation fighter jets, with the U.S. and Europe.

Japan currently bans almost all weapons exports. Exceptions include those for the missile defense system being jointly developed with the U.S.

In 1967, then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato introduced a policy prohibiting arms exports to communist nations; nations singled out by U.N. resolutions; and nations engaged in international conflicts.

In 1976, then Prime Minister Takeo Miki changed the policy and declared a de facto total ban on arms exports, a policy that still stands today.

The government will end the total ban and replace the "communist nations" in the 1967 policy with terrorist-supporting nations, nations that abuse human rights, and nations that lack sufficient control over imports and exports.

When studying the proposal for final approval, the government plans to take into consideration the possibility of exports being transferred to other nations as well as the impact on regional security.

Because the 1967 policy is not defined by law, the revision will be made in the form of a statement by the prime minister.

The government will likely face criticism for the revision, as the 1967 policy was crafted to be in line with the pacifist Constitution. As such, the government is considering limiting the types of weapons that can be exported.

(The Nikkei May 24 edition)