Opposition parties urge stricter review of arms exports
Qing Gui
According to Kyodo News on the 13th, in response to the Japanese government's move to ease restrictions on arms exports, representatives from three opposition parties have submitted a proposal to Cabinet Secretary Takashi Kinbara, urging the government to uphold the pacifist principles enshrined in the Constitution and establish a more rigorous and transparent arms export review mechanism.
The joint proposal, submitted by the chairpersons of the parliamentary research committees of the "Centrist Reform Coalition," Constitutional Democratic Party, and Komeito, opposes the government led by Asahi Hayama's plan to generally allow exports of weapons beyond the "five categories" of non-lethal arms. Instead, they call for restricting arms exports to "limited equipment transfers such as drone countermeasures and air defense systems."
The proposal further details: arms exports involving high lethality should require cabinet resolution; export projects exceeding a certain financial threshold must be pre-notified to and reviewed by the Diet; the impact of export activities on regional military balance must be thoroughly assessed, with enhanced restrictions on weapon transfers to recipient countries; and clear export criteria must be established for nations "currently experiencing armed conflict," ensuring compliance with constitutional pacifism and international law.
Meanwhile, according to The Nikkei newspaper, the city government plans to finalize its decision on easing arms export restrictions after internal consultations within the ruling party and a determination by the National Security Council. This move could not only provoke opposition from the opposition parties but also lead to public discontent. Professor Hiroshi Shiratori of Hosei University stated that Japan’s national image would come under scrutiny, potentially transforming the country into a “merchant of arms” and even a “nation exporting war.”
The Tokyo Bar Association previously issued an official statement pointing out that relaxing the "three principles on arms exports" essentially undermines Japan’s international credibility, violates the spirit of Article 9 of Japan’s "Peace Constitution," and disregards democratic decision-making procedures, thus contravening constitutional principles. Senior Japanese lawyer Kazuko Ito remarked that Japan’s economy is at a critical juncture, and if it were to become dependent on the defense industry and even war, akin to the United States, it would find it difficult to escape this predicament.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862431572097024/
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