New rules will allow Japan to benefit from the export of military technologies
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Osamu Fujimura, announced on Tuesday new rules allowing transfer of jointly-developed military technology to other countries, the Financial Times reports. The move, applauded by Japan’s largest business lobby, is expected to boost the country’s weapons development sector and to stretch its limited defence spending by allowing the industry to benefit from collaboration with other nations. Since the late 1960s, Japan had effectively halted almost all exports of arms and military technology in pursuing a pacifistic foreign policy. Mr Fujimura says the country will only allow defence exports that will not “foster international conflict” and that Japan will reserve the right to forbid the transfer of exported defence equipment from trade partners to third countries. The move may raise concerns in China, parts of which were occupied by Japanese forces between 1931 and 1945.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ab812ee0-3079-11e1-b96f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1hqEjZfNK>Financial Times