The Japanese government approved a significant bump in military spending and an end to the country's ban on exporting lethal weapons.
The Cabinet of Japan made the decision Friday to increase defense spending by 16% and overturn the export ban which has been in place since World War II.
"In taking the action, we hope to contribute to defend a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to achieve the peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the press following the announcement.
Kishida added, "There is no change to our principle as a pacifist nation."
Japan's first export of lethal weapons was made immediately following the change, sending Patriot-guided missiles to the United States.
The missiles were previously manufactured in Japan under a US license.
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The approval marks yet another step towards the full remilitarization of Japan, which was provided with a constitution renouncing its right to wage war by US occupying administrators following WWII.
"The scope, scale, and speed of Japan’s security reforms have been unprecedented," U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel said on social media.
Emanuel called the change in policy "a significant example of Japan’s shared commitment to deterrence."
Japan's government, headed by the powerful Liberal Democratic Party, is aiming to increase the country's relevance on the geopolitical stage through a series of reforms to its demilitarized status.
Territorial disputes with the People's Republic of China and demonstrations of aggression from neighboring North Korea have pushed Japan towards securing more formidable military capabilities.
