Japan’s Diet enacts law to support domestic defense industry

Japan’s Diet has enacted a law designed to support the domestic development and production of equipment that is supplied to the country’s Self-Defense Forces.

A key provision of the law is that it allows the government to acquire production lines for equipment that is vital to the Self-Defense Forces’ missions, and outsource them to other firms, if a company is unable to continue to do business.

The bill was approved at Wednesday’s Upper House plenary session by a majority vote. It was supported by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic and Komeito parties, as well as the opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party.