The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai opened working-level talks at the Diet on Tuesday on revising the three security-related documents, including the National Security Strategy, putting Japan's founding non-nuclear principles up for review before a cabinet decision set for December, Kyodo News reported.
The two parties discussed how to strengthen defense and diplomatic power in light of the current security environment. The main points of contention are the future of the three non-nuclear principles — the postwar policy of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons — along with the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines and a new defense spending target.
The talks are led by the LDP's Yasukazu Hamada and Ishin's Seiji Maehara, who head their parties' respective security research councils. "Because this concerns the nation's security, I want to discuss it carefully," Hamada said at the meeting.
Ishin pushes on the "no introduction" clause
According to multiple people familiar with the matter, the next meeting will take up a defense industry base strategy the government aims to draw up, and the creation of a corporate body to strengthen the production base for equipment.
Ishin is calling for "realistic consideration" of the "no introduction" clause of the non-nuclear principles. The party has proposed the early introduction of nuclear-powered submarines to strengthen deterrence. The LDP's own proposals do not touch on either point.