Tokyo, 21 abr (EFE).- The Japanese government on Tuesday approved a relaxation of its rules on the export of defense equipment that will allow the country to sell weapons abroad for the first time, in a bid to bolster security cooperation amid conflicts such as those in Iran and Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said her Cabinet had given the green light to the measure, arguing that “in an increasingly complex security environment, no country can protect its peace and security on its own,” and that it “needs partner countries to support one another in defense.”
“Responding to these needs and transferring defense equipment will help improve the defense capabilities of these countries and, ultimately, prevent conflicts, thereby ensuring Japan’s security,” Takaichi said in a message posted on her account on the social media platform X.
Takaichi also mentioned the possibility of exchanging parts or weapons among partner countries, “strengthening mutual cooperation,” provided they “commit to using the equipment in accordance with the United Nations Charter.”
Japan’s strict controls on the export of military material had limited sales of defense items to five categories: rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and demining. The revision now includes a clause that leaves the door open to exporting weapons to countries in conflict if authorities determine that “special circumstances” exist.
Even so, Takaichi said Japan’s “commitment” to maintaining its post-World War II trajectory as a pacifist nation for more than 80 years “remains unchanged.”
The change, which formed part of the 2022 revision of the national security strategy, had sparked debate because the sale of lethal weapons marks a major shift for a country governed by a pacifist Constitution.
Under the national security plan, authorities mapped out an unprecedented turn in Japan’s defense policies, calling for strengthened counterstrike capabilities through higher military spending and the acquisition of weapons such as cruise and hypersonic missiles. EFE
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