Japan Mulls Conditional Arms Exports To Circle Of Friends - Reports

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2022) The Japanese government is considering easing limits on arms exports to a handful of allies, including several Southeast Asian nations, media reported Thursday.

Japanese news agency Kyodo cited government sources as saying that the weapons could be supplied to countries that "are subjected to aggression or threats by other countries.

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Restrictions could potentially be lifted to increase the deterrence capabilities of another country, provided this would improve Japan's security.

The countries on the provisional white list are reported to be Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.

Japan's post-war pacifist laws prohibit it from exporting weapons unless they were developed jointly. The rules do not restrict exports of equipment used in search, rescue and surveillance missions.