Japan is considering a plan to limit the export of finished defense equipment jointly developed with other countries, The Japan Times reported on February 18.
The restrictions will not affect the next-generation fighter, which will be built jointly with the United Kingdom and Italy, the sources said.
Fumio Kishida’s administration and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are also considering the idea of the government submitting proposals in advance to the ruling bloc for individual approval if it wants to export jointly developed, ready-to-use defense equipment in addition to aircraft. in question to third countries.
However, it remains to be seen whether the government and the LDP can reach an understanding with the ruling coalition’s junior partner, Komeito, which is reluctant to ease restrictions.
Japan’s three-principle constitutional framework regarding the transfer of defense equipment does not allow the export of jointly developed and completed defense products to any country that is not a development partner.
Last April, the LDP and Komeito began working-level talks to change the guidelines in hopes of expanding the country’s defense exports. An interim report published in July said most participants supported the idea of exporting jointly developed defense equipment to third countries.
However, in November Komeito’s position on the issue hardened, with the party declaring that any such export to a third country would represent a significant departure from the past.
Since then, negotiations have stalled and the two parties in the ruling bloc have been unable to reach any conclusion.
“We need something to prevent a sharp increase in the export of lethal weapons,” Komeito Secretary General Keiichi Ishii said at a news conference on Friday, stressing that Japan must create rules for the export of developed and completed defense equipment jointly to third countries. .
Given Komeito’s position, the government and the LDP shelved the idea of allowing widespread exports of defense equipment.
Instead, they have focused their attention on limiting the volume of exports of finished defense products to third countries with next-generation fighters (for now) in the hope that this restriction will be more acceptable to Komeito.
One idea that the government and the LDP are considering, and that could appeal to Komeito, is to allow the new fighter to be exported to countries that have signed defense technology and equipment transfer agreements with Japan, excluding countries directly involved in conflicts.
Regarding defense equipment other than fighter aircraft, the government and the LDP will continue talks.
Next month, Japan plans to begin full negotiations with Britain and Italy on a system for developing and dividing tasks within the framework of the combat program.
Given the tight deadline, the government has asked the LDP and Komeito to reach a conclusion on export rules by the end of this month.
Kishida, who is also LDP president, met with Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday in hopes of breaking the deadlock in inter-party discussions. They agreed to move working-level negotiations to the level of political leaders, and higher-level negotiations are expected to begin soon.
In December, Tokyo revised the country’s guidelines on the transfer of defense equipment and technology, originally established in 1976, for the first time since 2014, allowing the export of finished defense products, including lethal ones, made in Japan under a foreign license. countries to have patents. for teams.
The Self-Defense Forces use dozens of weapons and other military systems produced locally under license from American or European defense companies.
Previous guidelines allowed only authorized components to be exported to the United States and also permitted the transfer of locally developed non-lethal capabilities and technologies. Decisions about which equipment will be transferred to which country or region will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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