TOKYO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A three-day arms exhibition that served the role of helping to bolster Japan's military role and its arms export to Southeast Asian nations ended Wednesday in Japans' Chiba Prefecture, drawing criticism from the public.
Japanese civil groups held rallies during the event to protest against the government's attempt of expanding the country's arms export.
According to the organizer, the Maritime Air Systems and Technologies Asia (MAST) exhibition, sponsored by the Japanese defense, foreign, and industry ministries to lure Southeast Asian buyers, gathered over 160 firms from 33 countries including Japanese firms Hitachi, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The Japanese defense ministry also held a meeting with some Southeast Asian nations to discuss matters related to arms export after the exhibition closed, local media reported Wednesday.
Dozens of people from Japan's civil groups held demonstrations everyday near the exhibition site with banners that read "Stop Arms Export" and "Stop Manufacturing War Tools".
Read the full story at Xinhua