Japan’s LDP OKs Draft Proposal for Lifting Ban on Lethal Arms Exports

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Research Commission on Security on Friday approved a draft proposal for the government to scrap current rules limiting the scope of defense equipment exports, thereby allowing lethal arms shipments in principle. The LDP plans to finalize the proposal as early as next week and submit it to the government. Based on the proposal, the government plans to revise its operational guidelines for the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfers in spring at the earliest. The government currently limits the scope of defense equipment exports to five categories–rescue, transportation, vigilance, surveillance and minesweeping. The draft proposal calls for abolishing the existing rules and instead classifying defense equipment into two categories–arms, including tanks and howitzers, and non-arms equipment, such as bulletproof vests. Whether to approve exports of arms will be examined by the National Security Council, attended by the prime minister and relevant ministers. For equipment jointly developed with other countries, exports to third countries will be permitted, according to the draft proposal. Under the current system, this is not permitted except for the next-generation fighter aircraft that Japan is jointly developing with Britain and Italy. The proposal calls for limiting export destinations to countries that have concluded defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]