Overview
- Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi accused Beijing of running a propaganda campaign portraying Japan as militaristic.
- He said the government is seeking to scrap the rule that confines defense equipment transfers to five noncombat uses: rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and minesweeping.
- Citing SIPRI figures, Koizumi noted China exported about $17 billion in arms from 2015 to 2024, ranking fourth globally, while Japan is not in the top 50.
- He argued Japan must strengthen its own capabilities and diversify procurement to avoid dependence on any single country for parts.
- In January, Koizumi visited Los Angeles-based Neros Technologies to evaluate drones built without Chinese-made core components that are used by the U.S. Marine Corps and Army.