CHINA-JAPAN: JAPANESE GOVERNMENT WARNS SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES FOR LEAKING BLUEPRINTS OF A PROTO-TYPE MACHINE GUN
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Japan Times reported that Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry issued a warning last month to Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. and a subcontracted firm after the latter leaked blueprints for parts of a military-use prototype machine gun to a Chinese company. The weapons were to be procured for the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) if selected in a tender. Sumitomo Heavy had bid in the tender opened by the GSDF in fiscal 2019 to procure the machine guns but withdrew its participation in March as the number of guns to be produced was small and the project lacked business prospects. Sumitomo Heavy Industries is a manufacturer of industrial machinery, automatic weaponry, ships, bridges and steel structure etc. Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said, "It is regrettable that such a case has occurred, and we will endeavour to deal with it appropriately."
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