Japan has revised its long-standing rules on lethal arms exports, prompting Chinese warnings of resurgent militarism amid heightened bilateral tensions.
On April 21, 2026, the Japanese government revised its three principles on the transfer of defense equipment and technology. This change ended limits that had confined exports to five non-combat categories since earlier guidelines.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on the same day. The shrine honors convicted war criminals from World War II.
Chen Zilei, president of the Shanghai Association for Japanese Studies, stated that the revisions mark a shift toward offensive capabilities. He linked the moves to efforts to gain domestic right-wing support and noted historical parallels to past militarization.
The decision follows months of friction with China, which has already imposed export controls on dozens of Japanese entities over military ties and vowed to oppose what it calls neo-militarism while upholding regional peace.