Unleashing Weapons Export

The Cabinet of Shinzo Abe adopted a statement that allowed exporting parts of weapons, which had been prohibited by the policy of the government of Japan. It is a significant mitigation of rigid restriction of weapons export in a country that has been taking a distance from being involved in military conflicts. This policy change may cause increasing enemies of Japan in the world.

The impact of the statement would be defined as emasculation of the three principles on weapons export of Japan. The Cabinet of Eisaku Sato announced in 1967 unilateral ban of exporting weapons to the communist nations, to the country selected by resolution of the United Nations, and to a country in international conflict or with possibility of it. The Cabinet of Takeo Miki extended those three principles to all countries in 1976.

The former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda allowed exporting weapons to be beneficial for Japan’s security in a joint development or production with a country which had security cooperation with Japan. Although Noda kept basic principle of preventing promotion of international conflicts, Abe this time ignored the basic principle, leaving on the counterpart the decision of whether the weapons would be exported to the third party. It is just as saying to the importer with a wink that “ Well, we don’t care about who you are selling our weapons.”

This policy change was brought with introduction of F-35 Lightning to the Self-Defense Force of Japan. Abe administration has been looking for a chance to join the international joint production of F-35 to reduce the cost of procurement of Japanese force. But if F-35 would be sold to Israel, which is in a conflict with the Palestinian, it will go beyond the principle of “preventing promotion of international conflicts.” So, Abe set new principle that was “to be limited to users who are abiding by the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” But it is unclear whether Japan can control the sales to the third party.

By involved in the effort to support the procurement of Israel, Japan is getting farther from the standpoint of Palestine or the Arab world. While Japan has traditionally kept its relatively neutral position in Middle East conflicts, the policy change may let Arab nations see Japan as a party of their opposite side. As we see in the assault to a natural gas plant in Algeria, Japan, regardless military or non-military, is becoming a target of terrorism. This positive attitude to developing new high-tech weapons also let neighbor countries skeptical about the intention of Japan. Persuasive reason for those who worried about Japanese militarism would be needed.