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Japan began to promote its enterprises to proactively involve in joint international development of weapons, including fighters, according to a new defense industry strategy adopted by Japan's Defense Ministry on Thursday.
"It's important for Japan to expand its technology base to prevent itself from being left lagging behind the rest of the world,"Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera was quoted as saying at a ministry meeting to decide on the strategy that would serve as a guideline for the coming decade.
Japan has lifted its self-imposed ban on weapons exports and started soon cooperation on defense equipment development with the United States and Britain, as well as with Australia on submarine technology.
The strategy cites the introduction of advanced foreign technologies and the reduction of development and production costs as advantages of the participation in the international joint development and production of defense equipment.
"Defense equipment is a tool for contributing to global and regional peace and stability," Japan's Kyodo News quoted the strategy as reporting.
However, analysts said that along with the country's attempt to exercise collective self-defense rights through reinterpreting its war-renouncing constitution, such step could unfortunately lead to a vicious circle in the region as Japan's military stance is changing fast under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration.
