Japan Press Weekly

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2010 November 17 - 23 [POLITICS]

DPJ proposes lifting ban on arms exports

The Democratic Party of Japan’s panel on diplomacy and security proposed the lifting of the three principles banning arms exports, the long-established Japanese policy, on the pretext that internationally shared development of military equipment is now a world trend. The draft proposal became public on November 17.

The proposal is concerned with a new defense program outline to be formulated by the government by the year’s end.

The panel proposes arms exports to and shared development with countries which are members of such international organizations as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), alleging that NATO imposes on its member countries a system of international control over weapons.

The proposal also calls for a review of the conventional concept of Japan maintaining a basic defense at a necessary minimum level, alleging that Japan’s defenses are weak in the light of the collision of a Chinese fishing boat in the seas off Senkaku Islands near Okinawa. The proposal states that the government should pay more attention to the defense of the Southwest Islands by increasing Ground Self- Defense Force troops stationed in Kyushu and Okinawa to ensure preparedness and mobility in defense of the islands.

The proposal further calls for deregulating standards for the use of arms under the United Nations Peace-Keeping Operations (PKO) Cooperation Law so that Japan’s SDF can engage in rescue operations in case personnel from other PKO-participating countries are attacked.
-Akahata, November 18, 2010