© AFP/File | Japan's Self-Defense Force honor
guards prepare for a welcoming ceremony of new Defence Minister Gen
Nakatani in Tokyo on December 25, 2014
TOKYO (AFP) -
Japan is
proposing jointly building Australia's new submarines, instead of
exporting a new fleet, a report said Monday, after concerns in Canberra
over the effect on the domestic ship-building industry.
Under the
proposal, Japan's defence ministry is to cooperate with Australia in
developing special steel and other materials for its new submarines,
while Tokyo will be in charge of assembling them, the Mainichi Shimbun
said.
The Australian side has taken "a positive stance" on the
proposal, the daily said, adding that the two countries may strike a
deal by the end of 2015.
Australia needs to replace its fleet of
diesel and electric-powered subs, which date from the 1990s, and Japan's
high-tech ship-building industry is through to be well-placed to win
the contract.
But opposition politicians and industry groups in
Australia protest that losing the contract could deal a potentially
fatal blow to naval shipbuilding at home, with a knock-on effect for
associated industries.
However, critics point out that Japan may be able to supply the fleet for as little as half of the cost of making it at home.
Japan
is on a drive to promote its manufacturing industries abroad, with
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe touring the world as salesman-in-chief.
Abe
has argued that Japan must play a bigger role on the global stage and
has pushed to loosen post-World War II restrictions on when its
well-equipped armed forces can act.
He has also relaxed a self-imposed ban on weapons exports, paving the way for the possible deal with Australia.
Immediate confirmation of the report was not available.
Source:france24
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