Japan is lifting longstanding bans on exporting weapons, which marks a significant departure from its post-World War II pacifist security policy. The country's military, the Self-Defense Forces, has played a limited and strictly regulated role thus far, but Tokyo claims that stronger defense capabilities are necessary due to China's growing military activity in the Asia-Pacific region. Beijing has announced that it will "resolutely resist" what it calls moves toward a "new type of militarism."