Japanese protesters rally against arms exports in Tokyo

Japanese citizens held rallies on Thursday outside the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the National Diet building in Tokyo, protesting Japan's weapons export policies.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, agreed at a meeting on Monday to revise the implementation guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and lift restrictions that limit defense equipment transfers to five noncombat purposes. And they planned to submit the proposal to the cabinet in February next year.

Demonstrators chanted slogans, calling for a complete ban on arms exports, denouncing the ruling parties, and demanding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the cabinet to step down.

"I believe that Japan must never become a 'weapons merchant.' At present, there are already some companies in Japan engaged in weapons-related industries. Not only does the government fail to stop this, it is actually promoting it, attempting to revive the economy in this way. I find this extremely dangerous, and it makes me deeply dissatisfied. I want to make my opposition clear," a protester said.

Another voiced concern over Takaichi's erroneous and provocative remarks on China's Taiwan region.

"Japan has never recognized Taiwan as a country. Under the premise of respecting the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, and the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan should abide by these documents. But now the Japanese government is ignoring them. Is this a deliberate move, or that Prime Minister Takaichi simply does not understand the contents? This is deeply unsettling. It is totally disrupting the current situation and undermining Japan's position in international relations," said a demonstrator.

A third rally participant said a dangerous shift has been taking place in Japan.

"Recently, some people have started talking about 'possessing nuclear weapons.' In fact, over the past 20 to 30 years, the threshold for such discussions has been gradually lowered. The moral restraints that once hold back these debates, the [right] path Japan should follow, and its commitment to pacifism have been continuously weakened and dismantled. While the situation has worsened sharply due to Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks, this is actually the result of a trend lasting for decades. Both the lawmakers and the public lack sufficient awareness of and reflection on this ongoing trend. I am very concerned about this," another protester said.

Japanese protesters rally against arms exports in Tokyo

Japanese protesters rally against arms exports in Tokyo

Denmark's Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, remained the largest party in Tuesday's parliamentary election, according to preliminary results from Denmark proper early Wednesday.

But neither the left-leaning red bloc nor the right-leaning blue bloc secured an outright majority in the Folketing, the unicameral Danish parliament.

The Folketing comprises 179 seats in total -- 175 elected in Denmark proper, plus two each from Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Results from Greenland and the Faroe Islands are yet to be finalized.

"Of course, I am disappointed that we did not get more votes. But there is nothing today that can stop me from being proud that the Social Democrats have once again become the Danes’ clearly preferred political party," said Frederiksen.

Preliminary results from Denmark proper showed that the Social Democrats won about 21.9 percent of the vote and 38 seats, down by 12 from the previous election. The Socialist People's Party secured 20 seats, followed by Venstre (the Liberal Party of Denmark) with 18 seats. Liberal Alliance and the Danish People's Party each took 16 seats.

Based on the tally for Denmark proper, the red bloc secured 84 seats, compared with 77 for the blue bloc. Since a majority in the Folketing requires 90 seats, the Moderates, which won 14 seats, were expected to play a pivotal role in the coming negotiations on government formation.

Morten Messerschmidt, the leader of the Danish People's Party, said he feels great to see more voters supporting his party in this election.

"The last election three years ago, we were almost eradicated with only two percent of the votes, and now we are between nine and ten. So it's like a quadrupling or whatever you call it. So that's quite remarkable, quite amazing. It feels great, I must say," he said.

Speaking after the vote, Frederiksen signaled that she was prepared to take responsibility in the upcoming negotiations and continue seeking to lead the country, while acknowledging that talks to form a new government were unlikely to be easy.

Under Denmark's multi-party parliamentary system, elections often lead to coalition or minority governments. Talks among party leaders will determine the formation of the new government.

Social Democrats lead Denmark's election, neither bloc wins majority