Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2023 March 22 - 28 [POLITICS]

JCP Inoue: Provision of support for foreign militaries based on 3 key national security policies is unacceptable

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi on March 24 at a House Budget Committee meeting said that provision of weapons and other support for foreign militaries constitutes military activities, which will put an end to Japan’s reputation as a pacifist nation.

According to the JCP lawmaker, the National Security Strategy, one of the three key national security policy documents, states that along with ODA projects, Japan will offer equipment and materials as well as infrastructure construction and other services to selected countries. Based on this, the government, in the FY 2023 budget, plans to spend 20 billion yen on foreign military support.

Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in reply justified this plan by saying that the provision of support will not directly be related to international conflicts. Refuting the minister’s argument, Inoue pointed out that the plan will make it possible to give assistance to foreign troops by such means as supplying equipment for conducting surveillance activities. He said, “This is engaging in military activities.”

Inoue noted that a Tokyo-based international NGO working in conflict regions, the Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC), expressed its opposition to the government plan to assist foreign militaries under the pretext of international cooperation, and said that this move will destroy trust for Japan. He asked Prime Minister Kishida, “Do you think it doesn’t matter if Japan loses its international trust?”

PM Kishida in reply only said that Japan continues as a pacifist nation and only seeks to increase deterrence capabilities in the region. Inoue criticized Kishida for pushing forward with Japan’s possession of enemy-base strike capabilities while insisting that Japan maintains its position as a pacifist nation based on defense-oriented policies. He stressed that as international cooperation activities, what Japan should do is to promote peace diplomacy utilizing the pacifist Article 9 of the Constitution.