February 22, 2024
Japanese Communist Party representative Motomura Nobuko on February 21 at a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting brought up the Japanese government’s plan to export surface-to-air Patriot guided missiles to the United States under the revised three principles on arms exports, and said that the revised principles will facilitate international conflicts.
The Prime Minister Kishida Fumio-led government in a cabinet meeting in December last year approved revisions of the “Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology” and guidelines for their implementation.
Motomura noted that under the revised guidelines, the export of arms to countries that “are judged to be at war” is disallowed. She pointed out that the United States deployed its armed forces in conflict situations six times in 2023 and five times so far in 2024. She said, “Considering this, the U.S. is a ‘country that is judged to be at war’, isn’t it?”
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa in reply said, “We judged that the U.S. is not a country where the fighting is taking place as part of military conflicts.” Refuting Hayashi, the JCP lawmaker pointed out that many countries at the United Nations have condemned the U.S. military actions as infringement of sovereignty, and said, “The United States violates the UN Charter stipulating respect for each country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and agreement to abide by international law.”
Motomura criticized the revised three principles for totally failing to put a brake on Japan’s lethal weapons exports to warring parties, and said that it is unacceptable for the Kishida government to trample on the war-renouncing Constitution and turn Japan into a nation facilitating the continuance or start of international conflicts.
Past related article:
> Gov’t seeks to open path to exports of lethal arms made in Japan under foreign license [ December 18, 2023]
The Prime Minister Kishida Fumio-led government in a cabinet meeting in December last year approved revisions of the “Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology” and guidelines for their implementation.
Motomura noted that under the revised guidelines, the export of arms to countries that “are judged to be at war” is disallowed. She pointed out that the United States deployed its armed forces in conflict situations six times in 2023 and five times so far in 2024. She said, “Considering this, the U.S. is a ‘country that is judged to be at war’, isn’t it?”
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa in reply said, “We judged that the U.S. is not a country where the fighting is taking place as part of military conflicts.” Refuting Hayashi, the JCP lawmaker pointed out that many countries at the United Nations have condemned the U.S. military actions as infringement of sovereignty, and said, “The United States violates the UN Charter stipulating respect for each country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and agreement to abide by international law.”
Motomura criticized the revised three principles for totally failing to put a brake on Japan’s lethal weapons exports to warring parties, and said that it is unacceptable for the Kishida government to trample on the war-renouncing Constitution and turn Japan into a nation facilitating the continuance or start of international conflicts.
Past related article:
> Gov’t seeks to open path to exports of lethal arms made in Japan under foreign license [ December 18, 2023]
