Arms Exporting Business

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tends to see security policy in the context of business. Takaichi administration promotes arms export to contribute to economic growth of Japan. She expects to mitigate regulation in Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, which implementation guideline limits arms export in five categories: rescue, transportation, vigilance, surveillance and minesweeping. The government hopes to be unleashed from oversight of the Diet in arms export.

On April 6th, Takaichi government presented the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a draft of easing regulation of arms export. The draft abolishes those five categories and enable the government to export “arms” and “non-arms”. “Arms” can be exported to countries that have agreement on transferring defense equipment, and “non-arms” do not have any limitation to go. National Security Council is planning to revise this guideline in late April with approval of the leading parties.

 

A controversial point in the draft is how the Diet is engaged in the decision of arms export. The draft demands the government to report what kind of equipment was exported only after it was exported. This kind of easy regulation on arms export is unusual, compared to norms in foreign countries.

 

The United States has a system of congressional review on President’s foreign arms sales. Under Arms Export Control Act, the president must notify the congress 30 days before a government-to-government sales of major defense equipment is concluded. The United Kingdom Parliament had Committees on Arms Export Controls which examined government’s expenditure on strategic exports. Function of the committees were succeeded by Business and Trade Committee.

 

Takaichi’s idea is supposedly based on a notion that Japan can earn money and promote conservative agenda by expanding arms export. However, strictly refraining from arms export has been Japan’s traditional policy as a peaceful nation, having reconstructed from devastation of the war.

 

In the discussion on this issue at Upper House Budget Committee, one of the lawmakers and Secretary General of Komeito, Makoto Nishida, quoted a comment of then Minister for Foreign Affairs Kiichi Miyazawa in 1976: “Even if some foreign exchange surplus could be earned, our nation has not stooped so low as to make money by exporting weapons.” Miyazawa was known as one of the dovish leaders in the LDP.

 

No such pride as a leader of Japan can see in Takaichi. She replied to Nishida, insisting that Japan needed to achieve like-minded countries to implement its own security. “I feel that the times have changed,” Takaichi said. She is right. Japan was the second largest economy in 1976. Now, it is at the fifth position, being left behind the United States, China, Germany and India. Takaichi does not hesitate to let this declining economy depend on military sales.

 

Takaichi seems to believe that support from business sector can maintain her popularity to keep her administration stable, as her political mentor Shinzo Abe did. However, Abe’s economic policy called Abenomics is now criticized as not working for raising real wages. Economic policy dependent on military cannot necessarily contribute to good reputation on her economic policy.

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