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politics10h ago
Japan looks to woo allies with new weapons deals
- Japan ends its ban on overseas arms sales and will allow exports to 17 defense partners, marking a major shift in security policy.
- A $6.5 billion deal with Australia will deliver 11 Mogami-class frigates, with initial ships built in Japan and the rest in Australian shipyards.
- Indonesia and the Philippines are rumored to seek naval assets, including subs and destroyer escorts, to bolster their defenses amid regional tensions.
- Japan collaborates on a sixth-generation stealth fighter under GCAP and develops a Glide Phase Interceptor with the United States.
- The policy shift is framed as enhancing Japan's security by deterring rivals and supporting like-minded partners.
- Analyst Masayuki Masuda notes the change is driven by security concerns from China and North Korea.
- The move is linked to broader political goals, including persuading allies to spend more on defense and pursuing constitutional revision.
- Allies, including the United States and France, welcomed Tokyo's shift as a step to strengthen regional defense cooperation.
- China criticized the move, saying it defies Japan's pacifist commitments and self-proclaimed defensive stance.
- The policy shift could reshape regional security dynamics in the Western Pacific and beyond.
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