Photo/Illutration Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Research Commission on Security Itsunori Onodera, center, attends a party meeting in November. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Despite an agreement to remove restrictions on the uses of weapons exports, the Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) remain divided over safeguards to prevent unlimited expansion of arms transfers.

While Nippon Ishin advocates allowing, in principle, exports of all lethal weapons, the LDP maintains that stricter screening and proper management procedures are necessary.

The two coalition parties held their first working-level meeting on Dec. 15 to review the implementation guidelines for the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology,” which regulate weapons exports.

The parties reaffirmed their agreement to abolish the provisions that limit weapons exports to five purposes: rescue, transportation, vigilance, surveillance and minesweeping.

They also confirmed their plan to compile a coalition proposal in February after continuing discussions on safeguards to be put in place after scrapping the provisions, as well as on whether to permit exports of lethal weapons to countries under invasion.

Based on the proposal from the coalition parties, the government is expected to revise the implementation guidelines as early as April to eliminate the “five-categories” rule.

The decision will be made at a meeting of nine ministers of the National Security Council because revisions to the guidelines do not require a legislative amendment.

“There are no major differences (with Nippon Ishin),” Itsunori Onodera, chairman of the LDP’s Research Commission on Security, told reporters after the approximately 40-minute meeting on Dec. 15.

Seiji Maehara, his counterpart from Nippon Ishin, said, “Japan’s defense industry base has become extremely fragile. Abolishing the five-categories rule is critically important.”

However, there remain a certain gap between the two parties when it comes to measures to curb the expansion of weapons exports.

Nippon Ishin has proposed a system that would fundamentally allow exports of all lethal weapons, with the government reviewing each case individually to grant approval.

The party has argued that exports of lethal weapons should be allowed to countries invaded in violation of international law, with decisions made through case-by-case policy assessments.

Ukraine would qualify as a country under invasion, but Nippon Ishin has stated that it would reject exports to Kyiv at this stage as a matter of policy judgment.

By contrast, the LDP is considering proposals such as requiring Cabinet approval for exports of highly lethal weapons, which are currently decided by the NSC’s four-minister meeting or its executive committee, and tightening criteria for recipient countries.

The party is also considering limiting exports to countries that have signed defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. Tokyo has so far concluded such agreements with 16 countries.

In addition, the LDP has taken a cautious stance on exports to invaded countries.

After the meeting with Nippon Ishin, the LDP held a study session of the Research Commission on Security to organize issues for abolishing the five-categories rule.

“Nippon Ishin is contemplating a plan with almost no restrictions, but the LDP needs to carefully develop safeguards,” one participant said.

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