U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel praised Japan's contribution to drastic “reform and modernization” of their alliance, particularly its military capability and spending, as well as a decision to allow Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to be shipped to the United States to make up for its decreasing inventory.
During a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Wednesday, Ambassador Emanuel commended Japan's moves to strengthen its military might, stating it elevates the "level of deterrence to capital D deterrence." This comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government recently relaxed its postwar prohibition on lethal weapons exports, marking a significant departure from Japan's long-standing self-defence-only principle.
The government also approved a record 16.5 per cent increase in defence spending for the coming year, reaching 7.95 trillion yen (\$56 billion), with a focus on missile strike and defence capabilities. This revision to the arms transfer policy permits Japan to export domestically produced weapons and components, manufactured under foreign licences, back to the original licensing nations. It represents the first significant revision to Japan’s arms export ban since a 2014 relaxation concerning non-lethal weapons transfers. Further policy adjustments are underway to permit the sale of jointly developed lethal weapons, such as a next-generation fighter jet being co-developed with Britain and Italy, to third countries.
Japan on Friday quickly approved a U.S. request for shipment of surface-to-air Patriot guided missiles produced in Japan under an American license to complement U.S. inventory, prompting speculation they may be sent to Ukraine.
Kihara said Tuesday the two sides were still discussing details as officials need to carefully make production and shipment plans so “this will not make a hole in the defense of Japan."
Pacifist groups, academics and some opposition lawmakers in Japan have questioned why Tokyo is selling the Patriot missiles. Critics say it also needs to fortify its missile strike and defense capabilities to be able to cope with an increasingly assertive China.
Kihara said the Patriot shipment is intended to showcase the will and capability of the Japan-U.S. military alliance and to ensure the peace and stability of Japan. It also shows Japan does not tolerate any attempts to change the status quo of international order, he said.
Emanuel described Japan's revision to the military equipment sale policy as “a capstone to a year of reform." He said it will result in a greater inventory for the United States as well as the Indo-Pacific region.
“That's really important for a system that's under stress,” Emanuel said of the Patriot missiles, which the United States supplies to Ukraine. “So it's very helpful when we manage our inventory.” Emanuel said the shipment from Japan is only for U.S. inventory.
He said all the steps Japan has taken, from the defense spending increase to planned deployment of Tomahawks, underscore its transformation “from alliance protection to alliance projection” and that “we are very deeply appreciative.”
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