Japan seeks to ease arms export rules in bid to be ‘good actor’ in Ukraine war

PM Kishida is pushing to overcome restrictions around the defence sales to help maintain the ‘liberal international order’

The effort comes as polls indicate most Japanese do not support exporting lethal weaponry

Reading Time:3 minutes

A Japanese tank fires ammunition during a live fire exercise. Tokyo is pushing to overcome restrictions as the government looks to boost its defence industry and expand support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 9:30am, 27 Jul 2023

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called on the government coalition to find an acceptable way around unwritten rules that control defence exports, despite indications that many Japanese are opposed to the sale overseas of weapons.

Kishida on Tuesday addressed a panel of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, its smaller partner in the government, to consider supplying defence equipment and technology to other countries.

The panel had previously concluded Japan can export vehicles and vessels that are fitted with lethal weapons systems to countries it collaborates with on security matters, as long as the equipment is not used in combat.

That decision was a step up from the three principles on the export of weapons, which was adopted in 1967 and banned sales of weapons to communist nations, those under United Nations arms embargoes, and nations engaged in, or likely to be involved in, an armed conflict.

Significantly, however, the position of Japanese governments for the last 55 years has never been a firm law, but merely guidelines.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x