A half-century ban on exports of weapons and military hardware was lifted by the continuously flexing government of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. The ban, which was self-imposed in the 1960s, will allow the country to ship weapons to allies and partners that consent to Japanese approval for third-nation sales. The ban was part of the country’s “three principles,” which also included a pacifist constitution (something Abe also wants to revise). Many of Abe’s moves are seen as countermeasures to increasing Chinese military might.
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