US and Japan announce new military command structure

The US and Japan on Sunday announced a major new military command structure that aims to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Forces Japan will work more closely with Japanese troops under a Joint Force Headquarters, reporting to the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in close collaboration with Joint Operations Command Japan.

This modernization will shift more U.S. operations to Japan and more closely integrate the forces of both nations. The transition will be the most significant for U.S. Forces Japan since the military branch was created in 1957.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the agreement after a key meeting with their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo.

At a press conference Sunday in Tokyo, Austin said the new military command structure was a “historic decision” and “one of the strongest improvements” in military ties with Japan in 70 years.

“Japan’s new Joint Operations Command will further enable our forces to work together more closely than ever before,” he said. “And these new operational capabilities and responsibilities will advance our collective deterrence.”

Japan has emerged as one of the most important US allies in the Indo-Pacific as Washington seeks to constrain China in the region. Tokyo is moving to dramatically increase its defense spending and last year reached a historic pact with South Korea and the US to form a trilateral alliance.

The US and Japan reaffirmed and strengthened their ties this week by referring to China as the “biggest strategic challenge” in the region.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa said there is a major challenge posed by China in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing threatens the autonomous island nation of Taiwan and the Philippines.

“China’s external posture, as well as its military actions, are a cause for serious concern,” she said at the press conference, hailing the US-Japan alliance as “indispensable.”

Austin and Blinken traveled to Japan over the weekend as part of a trip to meet with allies across the Indo-Pacific, with the two now heading to the Philippines.

The agreement reached this week in Japan also includes greater cooperation between Tokyo and Washington’s defense industries and the development of advanced technology, along with increased exercises between regional allies.

Blinken said on Sunday that growing ties between Russia and North Korea were also a serious threat to national security in the Indo-Pacific.

“Many of us are doing what is necessary to strengthen our deterrence,” he said, “as well as to take the necessary steps to try to prevent these countries from engaging in these activities.”

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