Kyodo-Kishida Pushes Parties To Agree On Defence Export Relaxation

Kyodo News reportingthat Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is instructing senior members of his conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition allies Komeito to accelerate talks on an agreement to export defence equipment. Permission to defence equipment and tech would provide a boost to the arms manufacturing sector, but would also put Japan in NATO's good books by allowing Tokyo to export weaponry to Ukraine for use in its defence against Russia's invasion.

• Talks centre on the relaxation of the so-called "three principles" on defence equipment and tech transfer under the pacifist Japanese constitution. Kyodo: "So far, Japan has maintained its position that the three principles under its war-renouncing Constitution ban lethal weapons exports, except for items jointly developed or produced with other countries which can be transferred among themselves."
• The Japanese Air Self-Defence Force has announced joint fighter jet drills with Italy from 2-10 Aug, and with Australia from 23 Aug-15 Sep in a further sign of broadening Japanese defence cooperation (Japan signed an agreement with the UK and Italy to develop new fighter jets by 2035).