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[Ripclawe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/w...half-century-ban-on-weapons-exports.html?_r=0

TOKYO — Taking his nation another step away from its postwar pacifism, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discarded a nearly half-century ban on the export of weapons and military hardware on Tuesday, a move aimed at helping Japan assume a larger regional security role to offset China’s growing military might.

The decision, which had been under consideration for years before Mr. Abe took office, replaced the self-imposed ban dating to the late 1960s with new, still-restrictive guidelines that permit the export of weapons only to allies and partners that agree not to sell them to third nations without Japanese approval. The new guidelines will also make it easier for Japan to join multinational development projects for expensive new weapons systems, like the American-led effort to build the F-35 stealth fighter jet.

The move formalizes a change that had already begun in incremental steps a few years ago, as Japan created a growing number of exceptions to its export ban, known as the three principles. The principles were one of the most visible pillars of Japan’s post-World War II renunciation of war, along with its pacifist Constitution, which Mr. Abe has also said he wants to revise.

Adopted in 1967, the three principles originally prohibited arms sales to Communist nations, countries under United Nations sanctions and countries in armed conflict, but it eventually grew into a blanket ban on all weapons exports.

Analysts said getting rid of the principles was partly aimed at opening new markets for Japanese defense companies at a time when Japan’s own military spending, while up for the first time in a decade, remained severely constrained by ballooning budget deficits. But they said Mr. Abe had finally decided to carry out the long-discussed change to achieve a larger strategic goal: augmenting Japan’s regional influence by offering its technologically sophisticated defense hardware to other countries locked in territorial disputes with an increasingly assertive China.

Analysts described the decision as a step toward Mr. Abe’s goal of turning long-passive Japan, which has Asia’s second-largest economy after China, into a more proactive player in regional security. Japanese officials say Mr. Abe wants to do this by turning Japan into a full-fledged defense partner of the United States, which has guaranteed Japan’s security since the war but has recently been forced to cut military spending because of fiscal problems of its own.

American officials, who have long urged Japan to assume more of the defense burden, have said they would welcome a lifting of the ban.

Japan is reacting to a shifting balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region brought by a relative decline in American dominance and a rapid military buildup by China, analysts say. One of Japan’s responses has been to build military ties with nations other than the United States, including Australia and India. Analysts said ending the ban would help expand those ties by removing legal obstacles to proposed deals, including sales of Japanese-made diesel attack submarines to Australia and seaplanes to India.

Tuesday’s move will also make it easier for Japan to provide military aid to less developed Southeast Asian countries that would help them respond to Chinese claims to contested territories in the South China Sea. This strategy, known as capacity building, has also been adopted by the United States to check China’s territorial ambitions while avoiding a direct confrontation between Washington and Beijing.

Japan has already been doing this to a limited degree, by supplying civilian coast guard ships to the Philippines, which is locked in a dispute with China over control of uninhabited islands. Experts said Tuesday’s move would make it easier for Japan to provide military equipment to help not only the Philippines but also Vietnam and Indonesia enforce their claims. They said the decision may also be an early step toward Japan’s eventually forming military alliances with Southeast Asian countries or dispatching warships to jointly patrol contested waters.

Two of Japan’s neighbors were cautious in their remarks about Tuesday’s decision. A Chinese government spokesman said his country was watching the move. A spokesman for the South Korean Foreign Ministry said the change “should be carried out with the maximum level of transparency in consideration of concerns by neighboring countries,” according to the Kyodo News agency of Japan.

 

[Oersted]

A loss for humanity.

 

[KHarvey16]

Interesting. I hadn't known anything about this until some years ago when a Murata rep came into the office and told me he couldn't sell us any parts that might be used on a military application. Assuming that wasn't merely a company policy and this news would change that I have to imagine it will be good for Japanese companies.

 

[JordanN]

Gundams can now be in the hands of Guerrillas.

 

[yankeeforever2]

I know China and SK will never want Japan to rearm there military, but it has to happen sooner or later. Japan still being the giant boogey man over their always cracks me up though.

 

[ponpo]

Kind of a scummy industry, but my friend here works for a helicopter manufacturer so hopefully good for her ~

 

[Dead Man]

Disappointed on principle, but I don't think it will be a bad thing in practise.

 

[faridmon]

Cool, so now I can import Ebony & Ivory.

 

[BurnOutBrighter]

Oh shit, giant robot terrorist cells incoming.

 

[KHarvey16]

Keep in mind these restrictions didn't only apply to actual weapons, but literally to resistors used on a piece of equipment installed on a military trainer aircraft (for instance). I always got the feeling this ban was enforced at varying levels of stringency based on the particular company but capturing more of that market will benefit them.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Who would want to buy Japanese kit?

I guess their stealth fighter is something but thats a long way out.

 

[Azuran]

They're so going to be regretting this once they start developing some Gundams.

 

[Valhelm]

Who would want to buy Japanese kit?

I guess their stealth fighter issomething but thats a long way out.

weaboo terrorists

 

[Mobius 1]

METAL GEAR!!?

It can't be.

Spoiler

I know Metal Gear are American Military hardware, but they're bats hit Kojima insane so it should count.

 

[Dead Man]

Who would want to buy Japanese kit?

I guess their stealth fighter is something but thats a long way out.

Serious post?

 

[Soyongdori]

Bipedal robots would be hilarious on actual battlefield.

This is like how not to make military hardware 101.

 

[BeerSnob]

Bipedal robots would be hilarious on actual battlefield.

This is like how not to make military hardware 101.

Duh, the four legged version can move an extra square and still fire that turn.

 

[Acorn]

Meh, as long as they aren't arming crazy dictators I don't really care.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Keep in mind these restrictions didn't only apply to actual weapons, but literally to resistors used on a piece of equipment installed on a military trainer aircraft (for instance). I always got the feeling this ban was enforced at varying levels of stringency based on the particular company but capturing more of that market will benefit them.

My sense is that there may or may not be merit to loosening these restrictions, and that Japanese companies might benefit, but it's pretty much impossible not to see this as part of Abe's effort to militarize Japan more broadly, which I personally view as problematic.

In the same way that a right-neoliberal moving to cut some wasteful government program might make sense, but if it's part of their broader agenda to dismantle government, then left-progressives should see that as problematic; or how those foetal murder laws that make it double murder if a pregnant woman is killed are not in isolation something individuals who are pro-choice are against, but they're proposed as part of a policy ouevre designed to create legal, medical, and procedural restrictions against abortion.

I recognize that's kind of poisoning the well as far as logic goes, as well as sort of a slippery slope but I also feel like the Overton window is real and so we ought to consider incremental changes in light of larger policy programs.

 

[jerry1594]

Korea and Japan should make nice before shit hits the fan. Unfortunately Japan's boneheaded and awful brainwashing of its citizens probably won't allow that.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Korea and Japan should make nice before shit hits the fan. Unfortunately Japan's boneheaded and awful brainwashing of its citizens probably won't allow that.

What an unbiased statement

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Serious post?

Name something Japanese Military in origin(something easily exported so no Navy ships and such) that other countries would clamor for.

Japanese personal weapons are pretty low to mid tier and would be more expensive than American, Chinese and Russian counterparts.
They would be more German weapon level priced yet without that known quality.

Most Japanese assault vehicles are American in origin, the Japanese tank is again mid tier and would be more expensive.

They have the F2 but thats just an extensive upgrade to an American F16.

 

[Chichikov]

Finally, Sony will be able to export the PS2.

 

[KHarvey16]

My sense is that there may or may not be merit to loosening these restrictions, and that Japanese companies might benefit, but it's pretty much impossible not to see this as part of Abe's effort to militarize Japan more broadly, which I personally view as problematic.

In the same way that a right-neoliberal moving to cut some wasteful government program might make sense, but if it's part of their broader agenda to dismantle government, then left-progressives should see that as problematic; or how those foetal murder laws that make it double murder if a pregnant woman is killed are not in isolation something individuals who are pro-choice are against, but they're proposed as part of a policy ouevre designed to create legal, medical, and procedural restrictions against abortion.

I recognize that's kind of poisoning the well as far as logic goes, as well as sort of a slippery slope but I also feel like the Overton window is real and so we ought to consider incremental changes in light of larger policy programs.

I suspect they'll institute a system whereby examples like I mentioned are allowed with little or no export control procedures but more overt, technically advanced or custom military products get much more scrutiny. Here in the states the ITAR controls generally work so that something like a resistor or a processor or even a jet engine can be exported to most countries without any issue provided they are off the shelf, commercial items, but products or parts that were custom made for a military application require licensing and approvals.

 

[speculawyer]

A loss for humanity.

Indeed. It is not like the world needs more arms exporters.

 

[Dead Man]

Name something Japanese Military in origin(something easily exported so no Navy ships and such) that other countries would clamor for.

Japanese personal weapons are pretty low to mid tier and would be more expensive than American, Chinese and Russian counterparts.

Most Japanese assault vehicles are American in origin, the Japanese tank is again mid tier and would be more expensive.

They have the F2 but thats just an extensive upgrade to an American F16.

You realise it is not just entire weapon systems, right? You realise this means they can now export components for other weapon systems, yeah? And who is clamouring for most of the international arms available? And yet they are on the market.

Good to see you have historical data on the cost to purchase Japanese armament, too :/

 

[antonz]

I think the point it mentions on joining in with other nations on weapon development etc. probably plays a big role too.

Getting to join in on those kind of development agreements opens them up to not having to rely solely on at home development.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

You realise it is not just entire weapon systems, right?

I said kit in my post, thus meaning entire weapon systems.
Of course components and such would sell.

My price statement comes from the fact that there is no large domestic weapon market, and no foreign sales. US, China, Russia and Germany have been exporting all sorts of weapon systems for decades.
They have the market and infrastructure to deliver unlike the Japanese weapon industry which only had to sustain their own military prior to this. There will be a markup till they have that infrastructure and the production level is high enough to knock the cost per unit down to competitive levels.

 

[Dead Man]

I said kit in my post, thus meaning entire weapon systems.
Of course components and such would sell.

LOL, okay.

 

[Delta Assault]

War has changed. It's no longer about nations, ideologies or ethnicity. It's an endless series of proxy battles, fought by mercenaries and machines.

 

[Madness]

Won't be long before Japan eventually drops the "self-defense" and forever renunciation of war aspects as well. China is antagonizing them too much.

People consider Japan weak, but they've been really smart with their military capabilities to the point where I'd say they have the most potent Navy in East Asia. Their "helicopter carriers" are basically aircraft carriers etc.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

I thought this thread would be about katanas.

 

[Sub_Level]

Finally, Sony will be able to export the PS2.

IIRC it was confirmed in intelligence reports that various insurgencies in Iraq and Aghanistan already had access to that level of sophisticated tech for their missile systems. The real news here are those Wii remotes. No longer in production but still in circulation. Get hit by a toss from one of those and you're done. It's over.

 

[rpmurphy]

I thought this thread would be about katanas.

 

[GorillaJu]

Korea and Japan should make nice before shit hits the fan. Unfortunately Japan's boneheaded and awful brainwashing of its citizens probably won't allow that.

Spoken like someone who has never met a Japanese person in their life.

 

[cafemomo]

Korea and Japan should make nice before shit hits the fan. Unfortunately Japan's boneheaded and awful brainwashing of its citizens probably won't allow that.

you can't be serious

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

Finally, Sony will be able to export the PS2.

The Saddam-Japan smoking gun confirmed.

 

[ramuh]

Hmm. I would have to take a look at the export laws regarding reselling (US planes etc) that allow them to resell lesser variants that origin Countries don't use anymore to 3rd parties. They could find a niche in Asia for a small to medium scale sale of military hardware. I wonder if that the new law would allow them to deploy actually Japanese advisors, tech support and such as well. To me this was a long time coming for the Japanese. I really don't expect to effect many things even regionally (politically).

 

[Valkerionseven]

They have the F2 but thats just an extensive upgrade to an American F16.

They also have that new Mitsubishi Heavy fighter that rolled out this year? or maybe last. Seemed to be in production limbo since they announced they were going to be implementing it.

In general though this seems inevitable. Not like they are a huge military arms creator but
their economy needs the cash and Abe seems to want to be the guy who will fix it no matter what.

 

[ponpo]

War has changed.

But I thought...

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Good for them. Can't rely on the USA forever to protect them, and you need a military industrial complex that can sell arms/tech to be self-reliant. Don't blame them one bit.

 

[Soyongdori]

USA can't be stationed in the Far East forever and China will be always there.

 

[Furio53]

haha wow. Amazing.

 

[SRG01]

Keep in mind these restrictions didn't only apply to actual weapons, but literally to resistors used on a piece of equipment installed on a military trainer aircraft (for instance). I always got the feeling this ban was enforced at varying levels of stringency based on the particular company but capturing more of that market will benefit them.

If this is accurate, then that means Japanese companies can only stand to gain from manufacturing and selling mil-spec parts directly companies.

 

[pants]

weaboo terrorists

What are these terrorists demands may I ask?

 

[Soul Beat]

Cool, so now I can import Ebony & Ivory.

Aaawww Yeah. Finally.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Finally, Sony will be able to export the PS2.

The UN should go sell some medicine.

 

[demolitio]

My favorite WT .gif.

Seriously though, good for them. They know the climate has changed in the region and this should help them out quite a bit while also being beneficial to their allies.

This is something that was bound to happen, especially given recent events.

 

[Valhelm]

What are these terrorists demands may I ask?

official mother 3 localization

 

[entremet]

Good for them. Can't rely on the USA forever to protect them, and you need a military industrial complex that can sell arms/tech to be self-reliant. Don't blame them one bit.

I got to agree.

For those who view Japanese militarism as harmful, do you feel the US will forever protect them?

Also for those who want a diminished role of US military oversees, many on this board, what should Japan do if the US becomes more isolated--I don't think it will happen personally--but just as a hypothetical. Shouldn't they be able to defend themselves?