Japan exports lethal weapons for the first time and discusses modifying the "non-nuclear principles," foreign ministry responds.

On November 21st, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning presided over a routine press conference. A Phoenix TV reporter asked about reports that the Japanese government recently completed the return of "Patriot" anti-aircraft missiles to the United States. This is the first export of lethal weapons by Japan after loosening restrictions on weapon exports. There are also reports that the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party has begun discussing revisions to three security treaty documents, including the modification of the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and increasing defense spending. What is the spokesperson's comment on this? Mao Ning stated that after World War II, international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation, and Japan's Instrument of Surrender clearly specified obligations for Japan as a defeated country, including complete disarmament and not maintaining industries that can be used for rearmament. However, in recent years, Japan has been continuously loosening restrictions on itself, expanding military power, increasing defense budgets for 13 consecutive years, passing new security laws to allow collective self-defense, modifying the "Three Principles on Arms Exports" to "Three Principles on Defense Equipment Transfers," constantly relaxing restrictions on arms exports, and even beginning to export lethal weapons. Mao Ning pointed out that despite Japan's claims to be building a nuclear-free world, it is actually intensifying extended deterrence cooperation and even seeking to modify the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" of "not producing, not possessing, not introducing nuclear weapons," opening the door to nuclear sharing arrangements. These actions indicate that Japan is breaking away from its purely defensive posture and accelerating its rearmament. "One can't help but ask, what does Japan really intend to do? If Japan wants to go back to its old militaristic ways, renounce its promises of peaceful development, and disrupt the post-war international order, the Chinese people will not accept it, the international community will not allow it, and it will ultimately end in failure," she said.