Why China is worried by Japan’s plans to change rules on arms sales

Sanae Takaichi has angered Beijing with her comments over Taiwan.

Photo: Reuters Japan is considering plans to relax its rules on the sale of offensive weapons in a move that one Chinese analyst said may open the door to it exporting weapons to warzones and possibly to Taiwan.

Currently, Japan can only export military gear designated for defensive purposes such as rescue, transport, warning, surveillance or minesweeping equipment.

But a draft government document, reportedly seen by the news agency Kyodo, would scrap this rule.

Kyodo said the new regulations would make a distinction between lethal equipment, for example warships or missiles, and non-lethal technology such as radars.

According to media reports, lethal equipment would now be allowed to be sold to countries with which Japan already has deals to exchange defence technology.

Under the new proposals, defence exports would have to be approved by the country’s national security council.

The rules say that – in principle – arms sales to warring nations would not be allowed, but exceptions may be allowed depending on national security needs.

Parliament would only be notified of arms sales after they had been completed, increasing the prospect opposition parties would call for greater scrutiny of future arms deals.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government is expected to present the plan to her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s security research commission next week and it is expected to be approved by the end of April, sources told Kyodo.

The proposed changes do not require a change to the law, so do not need to be approved by the legislature, but that increases the chances opposition parties will call for increased parliamentary oversight of future arms deals.

Wang Guangtao, deputy director of the Centre for Japanese Studies at Fudan University, said the possibility of exporting arms to warzones would be a concern for Beijing.

Wang said: “There is no guarantee that Japan will not move forward with arms exports to countries or areas that have disputes with China or even sell weapons to Taiwan.” Tensions between the two countries have been running high since Takaichi said in November that a military crisis in the Taiwan Strait would be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan that may justify military intervention.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China and has never ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.

Japan, in common with most countries, does not rec

原文链接: 南华早报