Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet on Tuesday made a landmark decision to abolish decades-old restrictions limiting military equipment transfers to “nonlethal” categories, paving the way for the export of lethal weapons even to countries currently engaged in combat.

In a news conference that same day, Takaichi’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara explained that “These decisions are intended to ensure Japan’s security and further contribute to the peace and stability of the region and the international community amid accelerating changes in the security environment surrounding our country. Today, no country can safeguard its own peace and security on its own.”

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “serious concern,” stating: “Japan’s rearmament is becoming a reality. We will resolutely prevent Japan’s reckless actions toward a new form of militarism.” The diplomat also criticized Takaichi’s offering at Yasukuni Shrine for the spring festival, saying, “Japan’s backward-looking moves are an attempt to evade its own culpability.”

© The Japan Times