Debates will soon begin in the Lower House on the bill concerning economic security. The bill has dangerous nature; it is to integrate military, industrial and academic sectors as well as to develop military industries by creating the government’s network of control and surveillance on economic activities in a context to contain China.
The bill consists of four pillars;
Prior examination on basic infrastructure facilities, which include electricity, gas, water, oil, telecommunication, broadcasting, postal service, finance, credit cards, railway, cargo transport by automobiles, shipment abroad, airlines and airports.
In case when ‘external forces may potentially intervene, taking advantage of establishment of the facility’, the government should be authorized to advise or order to discontinue the plan. When the business entity refuses to present a planning document or make false descriptions or disobeys the government’s order, it will be charged with imprisonment in maximum two years orf a fine less than a million yen.
Consolidation of supply chains. Importers and sales agents will be requested to report on trade and procurement partners of such items as semiconductors, medicines and rare earth metals and on the storing conditions. If the business entity does not respond on account of business secrets, it will be fined with in maximum 300 thousand yen.
Confidentiality should be agreed on cooperation projects between the government and the private sector in the cutting-edge technologies. If a person leaks a secret that only relevant people could obtain, he/she will be charged with imprisonment in maximum two years or fine less than a million yen.
Patents will not be publicly announced. As for nuclear and weapons’ technologies, applications for registration will not be publicly announced. If the technologies are to be applied for in a foreign country, the business entity will be charged with imprisonment in maximum a year or a fine less than 300 thousand yen.
Containment policy against China
The government made a cabinet decision on ‘the policies to enhance supply chains’ after removing penalty clauses, replying to the suggestions given by the business circle and the coalition partner, the Komeito.
‘Economic security’ debates were put on agenda, at first, in the context of the spread of corona virus in which dependance on foreign countries might jeopardize the crisis, as scarcity of facial masks. The government is not to assert such a view as it has been exacerbating a self-sufficient rate of food. The bill, however, has emerged as a text that does not hide political and military intentions today, when claims are frequently heard to contain China, pointing out the Senkaku Islands and Taiwan issues.
China is the biggest trade partner of Japan, while the government of Japan is to increase frictions by pressuring import from the country. The bill regulates enterprises and trade items in an abstract way, and, in practice, the government and ministries will order. Even the Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation, has opinioned that excessive restrictions should not be imposed on business operations.
Government hastens in developing military industries
Confidentiality is to be agreed on the advanced technologies, which links to the military domain: researchers will be targeted for the official control and surveillance scheme. Today a military-academic complex is being set up with huge public money flowing into businesses and universities.
The government is eager to grow military industries in haste, which follow the world’s forerunners, in combination with the prohibition of patent disclosure. The Constitutional Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, has not yet expressed an opposing stance.
The New Socialist Party of Japan calls for constitutional opposition parties to fight against the ruling coalition parties so that they may repeal the bill which they regard as the most important one in this Diet session.
法案は４本の柱からなっている。
①基幹インフラ設備への事前審査。対象は電気、ガス、水道、石油、電気通信、放送、郵便、金融、クレジットカード、鉄道、貨物自動車輸送、外航貨物航空、空港など。 設備導入で「外部からの妨害に利用される恐れが大きい」場合、政府は中止勧告・命令ができる。
計画書提出拒否、虚偽記載など命令に従わない場合も含め２年以下の懲役か１００万円以下の罰金。
②サプライチェーン強化。半導体、医薬品、レアアースなどの輸入先・調達先・保管状況の報告を輸入・販売業者に求める。企業秘密として応じない場合30万円以下の罰金。
③先端技術の官民協力における「守秘義務」。関係者が知りえた秘密を漏らした場合、２年以下の懲役か１００万円以下の罰金。
④特許の非公開。核技術、武器技術など対象に出願内容を非公開とし、外国に出願した場合1年以下の懲役か50万円以下の罰金。
中国包囲網の一環
経済界や公明党の意見を入れ、「サプライチェーン強化対策」については罰則をなくして閣議決定した。
「経済安全保障」論は当初、コロナ禍でマスクなど海外依存では危機対応できないという切り口から提起された。食料自給率を低下させてきた政府が言えることではないが、尖閣や台湾問題で対中国包囲網が声高に叫ばれるにつれ、その政治的・軍事的意図を隠さない法案として正体を現した。
最大の貿易相手国である中国からの輸入に圧力をかけ、対中摩擦を一層強める意図だ。対象とされる企業・物資の規定は抽象的で、実際は政省令で定める。経団連ですら「企業活動に過度な制約を課すべきではない」と意見を出している。
軍事産業育成急ぐ
「守秘義務」対象の「先端技術」とは軍事関係だが、企業と大学での軍学共同体制が莫大な予算で推進されつつある今、研究者への統制・監視体制が確立されるだろう。
「特許」公開の禁止と相まって、世界的に後れを取っている軍事産業を急ぎ育成したいのだ。立民はまだ反対を打ち出していないが、立憲野党は政府・与党が今国会の最重要法案とする経済安保法案を廃案に追い込め。
英訳版↓
No. 1251 Bill on Economic Security
Debates will soon begin in the Lower House on the bill concerning economic security. The bill has dangerous nature; it is to integrate military, industrial and academic sectors as well as to develop military industries by creating the government’s network of control and surveillance on economic activities in a context to contain China.
The bill consists of four pillars;
In case when ‘external forces may potentially intervene, taking advantage of establishment of the facility’, the government should be authorized to advise or order to discontinue the plan. When the business entity refuses to present a planning document or make false descriptions or disobeys the government’s order, it will be charged with imprisonment in maximum two years orf a fine less than a million yen.
Containment policy against China
The government made a cabinet decision on ‘the policies to enhance supply chains’ after removing penalty clauses, replying to the suggestions given by the business circle and the coalition partner, the Komeito.
‘Economic security’ debates were put on agenda, at first, in the context of the spread of corona virus in which dependance on foreign countries might jeopardize the crisis, as scarcity of facial masks. The government is not to assert such a view as it has been exacerbating a self-sufficient rate of food. The bill, however, has emerged as a text that does not hide political and military intentions today, when claims are frequently heard to contain China, pointing out the Senkaku Islands and Taiwan issues.
China is the biggest trade partner of Japan, while the government of Japan is to increase frictions by pressuring import from the country. The bill regulates enterprises and trade items in an abstract way, and, in practice, the government and ministries will order. Even the Keidanren, or the Japan Business Federation, has opinioned that excessive restrictions should not be imposed on business operations.
Government hastens in developing military industries
Confidentiality is to be agreed on the advanced technologies, which links to the military domain: researchers will be targeted for the official control and surveillance scheme. Today a military-academic complex is being set up with huge public money flowing into businesses and universities.
The government is eager to grow military industries in haste, which follow the world’s forerunners, in combination with the prohibition of patent disclosure. The Constitutional Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, has not yet expressed an opposing stance.
The New Socialist Party of Japan calls for constitutional opposition parties to fight against the ruling coalition parties so that they may repeal the bill which they regard as the most important one in this Diet session.
March 23, 2022