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| Japans TC-90 trainer aircraft (Image: Wiki Commons) |
With the rise of China's naval presence in mind, the Japanese government is poised to submit a bill in the upcoming ordinary session of the Diet that will allow it to give Japan's second-hand defense equipment to other countries -- primarily in Southeast Asia -- for free.
In 2014, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dropped the Three Principles on Arms Exports and replaced it with the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, but the new principles limit the transfer of equipment and technology to sales or leases, and prohibit the government from giving away such items for free.
The aim of the move is to help beef up the defense capabilities of Southeast Asian countries that face territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea and raise Japan's presence in the region to keep China in check. The bill, however, is expected to face criticism that such a move could lead to a limitless expansion of Japan's transfer and lease of weapons.
Read the full story at The Mainichi