By Sun Shaohong, Tian Yu

孫紹紅　田瑀

Japanese Defense Ministry recently released information that it had signed a 3-billion-Yen deal with the US to sell it the Patriot ground-to-air missiles possessed by JASDF, arousing close attention in the international community. Analysts said the weapon export deal once again revealed Japan's attempt to continuously hollow out the Pacifist Constitution and shake off the post-WWII military restrictions on it. This extremely dangerous tendency will destabilize the international security situation and tilt the regional military balance.

日本防衛(wèi)省日前發(fā)布消息稱，日本已與美國簽署價(jià)值30億日元的導(dǎo)彈出售協(xié)議，向美方出售日本航空自衛(wèi)隊(duì)所持有的“愛國者”地對空導(dǎo)彈。日本此舉引發(fā)國際社會關(guān)注。有分析人士指出，對外售武再次暴露日本不斷架空和平憲法、突破戰(zhàn)后軍事禁區(qū)的圖謀。這種極其危險(xiǎn)的行徑，也將對國際安全格局和地區(qū)軍事力量平衡造成沖擊。

Japan, a losing party in WWII, established three principles on weapon export in the 1960s. In 1981, the National Diet of Japan passed a resolution on weapon export that completely prohibited the country's export of weapons. However, with the changing international situation and the increasingly right-leaning domestic politics, Japan has been loosening its weapon export ban with all kinds of excuses.

作為二戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)敗國，上世紀(jì)60年代日本確立“武器出口三原則”，1981年日本國會通過《關(guān)于武器出口問題的決議》，日本實(shí)際上成為完全禁止武器出口的國家。然而，隨著國際局勢變化和國內(nèi)政治右傾化加劇，日本以各種借口“暗度陳倉”，一再放寬武器出口限制。

After the Abe administration rolled out the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology in 2014, Japan has quickened its steps of breaking the weapon export restrictions and lifting the ban. In 2022, it revised the principles to allow the export of such military supplies as bullet-proof vests to Ukraine. In January 2023, it signed the MoU on Security of Supply Arrangements(SOSA) with the US, establishing a cooperative framework of mutual priority and guarantee to ensure the stable supply of military equipment and supplies to each other. In December 2023, Japan again revised the three principles and their implementing guideline to allow the export of missiles and other destructive weapons. In March this year, the country revised the implementing guideline once again to allow the export of fighters to third countries.

自2014年安倍政府出臺“防衛(wèi)裝備轉(zhuǎn)移三原則”后，日本在武器出口領(lǐng)域加速尋求突破，持續(xù)推動解禁武器出口。2022年，日本修改關(guān)于轉(zhuǎn)移防衛(wèi)裝備的原則，允許向?yàn)蹩颂m出口防彈背心等物資；2023年1月，日美簽署《供應(yīng)安排安全諒解備忘錄》，建立了兩國間相互優(yōu)先保障裝備穩(wěn)定供應(yīng)的合作框架；2023年12月，日本修改“防衛(wèi)裝備轉(zhuǎn)移三原則”及其實(shí)施方針，允許出口導(dǎo)彈等具有殺傷能力的武器；今年3月，日本再次修改這一實(shí)施方針，允許向第三國出口戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)等。

Selling parts and components of ground-to-air missiles to the US, co-developing fighter-borne air-to-air missiles with the UK, and providing military equipment for the Philippines and other countries – Japan is obviously taking bigger steps in weapon export. The latest missile export to the US marked the first time it exported weapons of destructive capability, a new sign of its expanded weapon export. There are many reasons behind Japan's unremitting efforts to lift the weapon export ban and make dangerous attempts.

在此背景下，從向美國出口地對空導(dǎo)彈零部件，到與英國聯(lián)合研發(fā)戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)用空對空導(dǎo)彈，再到向菲律賓等國提供軍事裝備，日本在武器出口領(lǐng)域的步子越邁越大。此次向美國出口導(dǎo)彈，是其首次出口具有殺傷能力的成品武器，為其擴(kuò)大武器對外出口又撕開了一個(gè)口子。日本如此不遺余力解禁武器出口政策，并且不斷進(jìn)行危險(xiǎn)嘗試，背后有著多重考量。

First, Japan wants to relieve its economic pressure by promoting weapon exports. Japan's defense budget for the fiscal year of 2024 stands at around 7.95 trillion Yen, a year-on-year increase of 16.9% and growing for the 12th consecutive year, adding much strain to the country's consistently sluggish economy. At the moment, Japan's more than 1,000 defense-related enterprises, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, provide over 90% of the JSDF's weapons and equipment, yet their defense products account for less than 10% of their total output. Now that Tokyo allows exporting missiles to the US, it can take the opportunity to sell its missiles, fighters, and ammunition to more countries for profits, thus reinvigorating the domestic defense industry and boosting the economy.

首先，意在“以武促經(jīng)”，緩解經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力。日本2024財(cái)年防衛(wèi)預(yù)算約為7.95萬億日元，同比增長16.9%，實(shí)現(xiàn)連續(xù)12年增長，這無疑對其長期低迷的經(jīng)濟(jì)造成巨大負(fù)擔(dān)。目前，日本有包括三菱重工、川崎重工等在內(nèi)的1000多家涉及防衛(wèi)領(lǐng)域的企業(yè)，為自衛(wèi)隊(duì)提供90%以上的武器裝備，但這些企業(yè)的防衛(wèi)產(chǎn)品占總產(chǎn)品的比重卻不足10%。此次向美國出口導(dǎo)彈的口子一開，日本便可向更多國家銷售其生產(chǎn)的導(dǎo)彈、戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)及彈藥等武器裝備，獲取出口利潤，從而激活國內(nèi)防衛(wèi)產(chǎn)業(yè)，提振其經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。

Second, Japan wants to improve its R&D capability and unleash productive potential. Weapons and equipment are difficult to develop and costly to produce. Increasing weapon export will give Japan more capital, reduce the R&D and production costs, and unleash the productive potential of defense enterprises. At the same time, Japan intends to enhance those enterprises' R&D capability by increasing weapon export, not only addressing their chronic problems of small scale and high cost, but also gaining the production and R&D capability of some high-tech weapons and equipment by cooperating with the US and other countries, and arming the JSDF with more advanced weapons.

其次，提高研發(fā)能力，釋放生產(chǎn)潛力。當(dāng)前，武器裝備的研發(fā)難度系數(shù)大，生產(chǎn)成本高昂。日本加大武器裝備出口，有助于回籠資金，攤薄研發(fā)和生產(chǎn)成本，釋放防衛(wèi)企業(yè)的生產(chǎn)潛力。同時(shí)，日本有意借此提升防衛(wèi)企業(yè)的研發(fā)能力，解決長期以來防衛(wèi)生產(chǎn)規(guī)模小、造價(jià)高等弊端，并可在與美國等國的合作中，獲得部分高技術(shù)武器裝備的生產(chǎn)和研發(fā)能力，為日本自衛(wèi)隊(duì)配置更先進(jìn)的武器裝備。

Third, Japan also hopes to tighten its military ties with the US through in-depth cooperation. The US has been unscrupulously promoting the so-called "major-country competition" and accelerated the loosening of military noose on Japan in recent years. As America's shortage of arsenal stock and production capacity become more prominent, Japan has acted as its "defense supplier", which has intensified their military ties and enhanced their ability to interfere in regional affairs together.

此外，推進(jìn)深度合作，加強(qiáng)軍事捆綁。近年來，美國肆意推行所謂“大國競爭”，不斷加快對日軍事松綁。隨著美國武器庫存和生產(chǎn)能力不足的問題不斷凸顯，日本開始充當(dāng)“國防外包商”，進(jìn)一步強(qiáng)化日美雙方的軍事捆綁，提升聯(lián)合干預(yù)地區(qū)事務(wù)的能力。

Weapon export concerns a country's direction of development. Japan's constant deviation from the "exclusively defense-oriented policy" and its export of weapons, even destructive ones, have gone wildly away from the path of peaceful development and will continue to worsen regional tension, calling for high vigilance from the international community. The Japanese government should deeply reflect on its historical crimes, stick to the path of peaceful development, stop finding excuses for its military buildup, and take solid actions to gain the trust of its Asian neighbors and the world in general.

武器出口問題事關(guān)國家發(fā)展方向。日本不斷突破專守防衛(wèi)原則，對外出口武器，甚至是殺傷性武器，嚴(yán)重背離和平主義道路，持續(xù)加劇地區(qū)緊張局勢，國際社會對此必須高度警惕。日本政府應(yīng)深刻反省歷史罪責(zé)，堅(jiān)持走和平發(fā)展道路，停止為自身強(qiáng)軍擴(kuò)武尋找借口，以實(shí)際行動取信于亞洲鄰國和國際社會。