TOKYO: Japan will ease decades-old arms export curbs, the government said Tuesday, in a major policy shift that paves the way for the sale of lethal weapons overseas as Tokyo ramps up its defence ambitions.
The new rules end Japan’s self-imposed curb on sales of lethal arms as Tokyo seeks to enter the international arms market, hoping to bolster national defence as well as boost economic growth.
The move, which provoked an angry reaction from China, comes as anxiety increases over Beijing’s escalating military activity in the region, as well as persistent security threats from North Korea and Russia.
“These decisions have been made at a time when changes in the security environment surrounding our country are occurring at an accelerating pace, and they serve to ensure Japan’s security while contributing even more to peace and stability in the region and the international community,” the government’s top spokesman Minoru Kihara told a news conference.
“Today, no nation can safeguard its own peace and security by itself alone.”
China was “seriously concerned” by the changes and would “firmly resist Japan’s reckless new-style militarisation”, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing.
Exports had previously been limited to equipment classified under five categories: search and rescue, transportation, warning, surveillance and minesweeping.
However, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on X that “with this amendment, transfers of all defence equipment will in principle become possible”.
Proponents of the policy shift argue the change should further integrate Tokyo in the international defence supply chain, deepening defence, diplomatic and economic ties with partner nations as regional instability grows.
But the decision has caused unease among some members of the Japanese public, with critics accusing Takaichi of eroding the proud history of the nation’s staunch pacifism.
“As a Hiroshima native, I grew up being taught the importance of peace, and I believe that the horror and devastation of the atomic bomb remain relevant today,” 56-year-old Junichi Kikuta told AFP, explaining that he was against the move.
“I still hope Japan, as the only country ever hit by a nuclear weapon, will continue to uphold its stance of relinquishing weapons and opposing wars.”
The policy change has been approved by the Cabinet and the National Security Council, Kihara said.
Heigo Sato, an expert on defence issues and arms control at Takushoku University, said Japan must use this time of peace to ensure combat readiness by establishing “a system that ensures the smooth exchange of weapons and ammunition” between allies.
He told AFP that exports require routine maintenance, providing defence contractors with steady business while also strengthening ties with buyer nations.
By making the arms trade a two-way exchange, Japan might improve the chances of receiving help from allies in the event of an unexpected, prolonged conflict, he said.
The new rules are part of an incremental easing of the blanket export ban on weapons that was first introduced in 1976.
Takaichi said export “recipients will be limited to countries that pledge to use the equipment in a manner consistent with the United Nations Charter”.
However, the Japanese public appears uneasy about the prospect of exporting lethal arms.
A March survey by national broadcaster NHK showed that 53 percent of participants opposed the step, while only 32 percent supported it.
Peace activists have staged rallies across the nation over concerns that Takaichi’s hawkish world views and open support for US President Donald Trump could drag Japan into conflicts. Some appeared to be protesting against the easing of arms export rules.
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