Japan, France To Start Talks On Developing Military Equipment

Japan has agreed to hold official talks on joint weapons development with France, despite the objections regarding the France military sales to China and Russia.

At the Asia Security Summit, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian showed a strong interest in Japanese weapons-related technology, and proposed to the Japan Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera that the two nations jointly develop military weapons and equipment.

Japan and France to begin talks aimed at hammering out an agreement to carry out joint arms development, beginning with the bilateral summit scheduled for June 7 in Tokyo.

“I think there is no difference with France in our thinking on this,” Onodera told reporters after the meeting with Le Drian, showing his support for joint arms development efforts.

But the recent arms export to China and Russia from France is a main concern for Japan and Onodera was prompted to ask a question on this.

France has sold to China defense contractor DCNS SA’s landing grid, which allows helicopters to land on or take off from ships without crew assistance even in bad weather.

Japan has expressed concerns to France that the equipment will be used on Chinese ships intruding into Japanese waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

“If the equipment is installed on the (Chinese marine surveillance vessel) Haijian, that will fuel tensions in the East China Sea,” Onodera said at the meeting.

But Le Drian emphasized that the sales cannot be regulated because the system will not be used for military purposes in China and is not subject to a European Union ban on arms exports.

If the two nations reach an agreement, France will become the second country to engage in collaborative arms development with Japan, following Britain.