Japan Outlines New Arms Export Guidelines

Tokyo, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government has compiled an outline of new guidelines on the country's arms exports in a major shift from the current policy of banning arms transfers overseas with some exceptions, it was learned Sunday. Under the new guidelines, the government would make decisions by studying whether exporting arms would contribute to Japan's security, informed sources said. The new guidelines would not include provisions seen in the current guidelines that prohibit exports to countries which are in conflict or could enter into conflict and to communist nations, the sources said. The government will open talks with the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition in early March with a view to making a cabinet decision on the new guidelines within that month, the sources said. In a speech in Gifu, central Japan, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera sought understanding, saying that serious discussions on establishing new arms export guidelines are necessary under the current security environment and amid increasing moves worldwide to develop weapons in multilateral projects. The planned new guidelines would say that strict checks must be made before exports and that transfer to a third country of exported weapons should be limited to cases where appropriate management of the weapons can be ensured, according to the sources. Meanwhile, arms exports would be banned if the maintenance of international peace and security could be at risk. Japan would remain unable to supply arms to countries to which arms exports are banned under U.N. resolutions, the sources said. Exports would also be banned to countries breaching international treaties such as one on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines, the sources said. Japan will delete the provision prohibiting exports to countries in conflict, apparently bearing in mind a possibility that Israel could introduce the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter that uses Japanese-made parts. The new guidelines come after Japan in 2011 allowed arms exports aimed at contributing to international peace and cooperation as an exception to the current policy in a statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura under the administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan, now an opposition party. Under the new guidelines, arms exports to the United Nations and other international organizations would become possible. Decisions on whether arms can be exported or not will be made at meetings of four key ministers of Japan's recently established National Security Council, the sources said. The four are the prime minister, chief cabinet secretary, foreign minister and defense minister. The trade minister will attend such meetings as necessary. END