Japan plans to sell old missiles to the Philippines, experts say: military threat is limited but intentions are extremely malicious.

[Global Times Report, Journalists Xing Xiaojing and Liang Rui] On the 15th, Japan's NHK reported that earlier this month, the Philippines expressed its intention to procure the Type 88 coastal anti-ship missile from Japan, and the Japanese Ministry of Defense has begun studying export matters. Kyodo News stated that this move aims to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines to curb China's frequent military activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea. A Chinese military expert told Global Times reporters on the 15th that this outdated weapon poses a limited military threat, but Japan's continuous expansion of arms exports is aggressive and will inevitably harm regional peace and stability.

According to reports, the Type 88 coastal anti-ship missile is a missile that attacks naval vessels from the ground, with a range of over 100 kilometers, held by the Ground Self-Defense Force. Recently, during the Philippines' participation in the US-Philippines "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" exercises, the Self-Defense Force conducted live-fire training with the Type 88 coastal anti-ship missile. NHK cited relevant sources stating that the Philippines expressed interest in this equipment to Japan this month, and the Ministry of Defense has begun studying export matters. As the current equipment will gradually be phased out and replaced with new missiles, research is being conducted on exporting existing equipment.

The Japanese government recently passed a cabinet resolution, completing the revision of the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment" and its operational guidelines. The new regulations not only lift the ban on the export of lethal weapons in principle but also clearly stipulate that under specific circumstances, with approval from the National Security Council, weapons can be exported to countries in a state of armed conflict. Kyodo News reported that negotiations between Japan and the Philippines for the export of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's "Abukuma" class old frigates have officially begun. In addition, Japan is also exploring the export of the Ground Self-Defense Force's "Type 03 medium-range air defense missile."

Japan's Asahi Shimbun quoted Japanese Defense Minister Kōizumi Shinjiro on the 15th, stating: "No conclusions have been reached yet. However, within the framework of the newly established working group between Japan and the Philippines, we are willing to actively engage in discussions to select equipment categories that will assist in defense cooperation between both sides." The report stated that Kōizumi showed a positive attitude towards arms exports, declaring, "Japan's relevant technologies and defense measures have been recognized by the outside world, and we are willing to advance related consultations."

Military expert Zhang Junsha, in an interview with Global Times reporters on the 15th, stated that the Type 88 coastal anti-ship missile has been in service for nearly 40 years, has a slow flight speed, low strike accuracy, and is easily interfered with, posing a limited threat to today's advanced vessels. Other equipment planned for export is largely just an extension and combination of existing systems, rather than a revolutionary technological upgrade.

"Although the Type 88 coastal anti-ship missile that Japan plans to transfer to the Philippines is inferior in performance to Japan's current Type 12 ship-to-ship missile, it can still enhance the combat capabilities of the Philippine military to some extent," Zhang Junsha said. "Tokyo's main intention is to cultivate an anti-China force in the South China Sea, inciting the Philippines to provoke China, in order to alleviate the counter-pressure Japan faces when provoking in the Diaoyu Islands direction, which is extremely malicious."

Zhang Junsha stated: "As a country that was an aggressor and defeated in World War II, Japan's production and sale of missiles and other lethal weapons violate international law and Japan's pacifist constitution, and its actions will inevitably harm regional peace and stability, which is extremely dangerous."

Regarding the Japanese government's principle of lifting the ban on the export of lethal weapons, a previous NHK poll showed that more than half of the respondents expressed opposition.