TOKYO: Japan plans to limit for now exports to a third country of finished defense equipment co-developed with other nations to the next-generation fighter jet to be developed with Britain and Italy, Jiji Press learned Saturday.

The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are also examining the idea that the government will submit a proposal to the ruling parties beforehand to seek individual approvals if it wants to export co-developed finished defense equipment other than the jet to a third nation, sources said.

It is to be seen, however, whether the government and the LDP will be able to gain the understanding of the party’s junior coalition partner, Komeito, which has been reluctant to relax restrictions to enable such exports.

The implementation guidelines for Japan’s three principles on defense equipment transfers do not allow jointly developed finished defense products to be exported to any country other than development partner nations.

In April last year, the LDP and Komeito began working-level talks to alter the guidelines in hopes of expanding the country’s exports of defense equipment.

An interim report released in July said that the majority of participants supported the idea of exporting jointly developed defense equipment to a third country.

In November, however, Komeito adopted a hardened attitude, saying that any such export to a third country would represent a significant deviation from past cases.

Talks have stalled since then. The two ruling parties remain unable to reach a conclusion.

At a press conference Friday, Komeito Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii said, “We need something that would prevent a rush of exports of lethal weapons.”

He indicated that Japan should create rules on exporting jointly developed finished defense equipment to a third country.

In view of Komeito’s attitude, the government and the LDP gave up on the idea of allowing defense equipment exports across the board.

They have switched their focus to limiting the scope of finished defense product exports to a third country to the next-generation fighter jet for the time being, hoping that the limit is acceptable to Komeito.

The government and the LDP are considering the idea of allowing such exports to countries that have signed an agreement on defense equipment and technology transfers with Japan while excluding any countries in conflict from destinations of such exports.

On defense equipment other than the fighter jet, the government and the LDP will continue discussions.

Japan will launch full-fledged talks with Britain and Italy next month over the development system and the division of tasks under the fighter jet program.

Given this schedule, the government has asked the LDP and Komeito to reach a conclusion on the export rule by the end of this month.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the LDP’s president, met with Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi at the prime minister’s office Tuesday in hopes of breaking the stalemate in the interparty discussions.

The two agreed to upgrade the working-level talks to policy chief-level discussions. The upgraded talks are expected to begin soon.

JIJI Press