Abe Moves Toward Easing Japan’s Weapons Export Restrictions

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition began discussing a loosening of Japan’s 40-year-old restrictions on weapons sales, a move that is unpopular with voters and risks new tensions with China.

Under a draft of the new “principles on transfers of defense equipment” obtained by Bloomberg, such transfers will not be allowed where they will clearly damage international security.

A ban on exports to countries involved in conflict will remain, according to the draft. The change was reported earlier by the Kyodo news agency.

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