Japan and France plan to hold their first security talks early next year, possibly in the first half of January, to discuss establishing an arrangement under which Tokyo would be notified of exports from France of equipment that could be diverted to military use, Japanese government sources said.
During the "two-plus-two" meeting of defense and foreign ministers in Paris, the two countries are expected to agree to strengthen intelligence-sharing on terrorism and security as Tokyo eyes the establishment of a body styled after the U.S. National Security Council by the end of 2014.
The envisioned arrangement comes after a French defense company's move to sell to China equipment that would enable helicopters to land on ships. Japan hopes such an arrangement would curb future exports of similar equipment to Beijing.