TOKYO — The defense chiefs and top diplomats of Japan and the United States agreed to further strengthen their military cooperation by improving command and control of U.S. forces in the East Asian country and strengthening U.S.-licensed missile production there, outlining the growing threat from China as “the greatest strategic challenge.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joined their Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara at the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee in Tokyo, known as “2 security talks.” +2”, where they reaffirmed their bilateral alliance after president joe biden withdrawal from the November presidential race.
Japan is home to more than 50,000 U.S. troops, but the commander of U.S. Forces Japan based in Yokota, in the western suburbs of Tokyo, charged with managing its bases, has no command authority. Instead, the instructions come from the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. The plans will give USFJ greater capacity while still reporting to INDOPACOM.
The command upgrade “will be the most significant change to U.S. Forces Japan since its inception and one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years,” Austin said. “These new capabilities and operational responsibilities will boost our collective deterrence.”
“We are at a historic turning point in which the free and open, rules-based international order is being shaken to its foundations,” Kamikawa said. “Now is a critical phase where our decision today determines our future.”
Austin, in his opening remarks, said China is “engaging in coercive behavior, seeking to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, around Taiwan and throughout the region,” adding that the nuclear program of North Korea and its deepening cooperation with Russia “threaten regional and global security.”
In the joint statement issued after the talks, the ministers said that China’s foreign policy “seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others” and that “such behavior is a serious concern for the alliance and the entire community.” international and represents the greatest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
China has been at odds with many Asia-Pacific countries for years over its extensive maritime claims over the crucial South China Sea. It also claims the autonomous territory of Taiwan, which will be annexed by force if necessary. In March, Beijing announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budgetwhich is already the second highest in the world behind the United States, marking a massive military expansion.
The ministers said the US command reorganization, planned for March to be in line with Japan’s own command upgrade, was intended to “facilitate deeper interoperability and cooperation in joint bilateral operations in peacetime and during contingencies” and improve intelligence coordination, surveillance, reconnaissance and cybersecurity.
The new U.S. command in Japan will be led by a three-star general, not the four-star Japan is seeking, but Austin said “we haven’t ruled it out” and he will continue negotiating.
Japan has long suffered from cybersecurity threats that Washington believes are of serious concern. Lately, Japan The space agency revealed that it suffered a series of cyber attacks and although sensitive information related to space and defense was not affected, it raised concerns and pushed the agency to take preventive measures.
In a joint statement, the ministers reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to “extended deterrence,” which includes atomic weapons, a change from Japan’s previous reluctance to openly discuss the sensitive issue as the only country in the world that has suffered atomic attacks, amid nuclear threats from Russia. and China.
Japan has been accelerating its military development and increasing joint operations with the United States and South Korea, while trying to strengthen its largely domestic defense industry.
Tokyo has significantly eased its arms export restrictions. and in December it fulfilled a U.S. request to ship PAC-3 surface-to-air missile interceptors produced in Japan under a U.S. license to replenish U.S. inventories, which have declined due to its support for Ukraine.
The ministers said efforts will continue to expand Japanese production of PAC-3 interceptors for export to the United States, as well as co-production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to meet “critical demand” for such systems. Be prepared when necessary “to deter aggression.”
Japan and the United States have also been accelerating cooperation in the arms industry. following a April agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Biden. Both sides have created working groups for the co-production of missiles and for the maintenance and repair of US Navy ships and Air Force aircraft in the region.
While Japan’s role is largely designed to help supply U.S. weapons and keep its deterrence credible in the Indo-Pacific amid continuing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Japanese officials say it will help strengthen the Japanese defense industry.
Earlier on Sunday, ahead of the 2+2 talks, Kihara met with Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik for their first trilateral defense talks hosted in Tokyo and signed a memorandum based on their June agreement in Singapore that institutionalizes their regular high-level talks. level talks, joint exercises and other exchanges.
Defense officials said Sunday that the memorandum serves as a basis for future defense cooperation between the three countries despite possible leadership changes, while also showing their unity.
“The signing of this memorandum makes our trilateral cooperation unbreakable even in changing global environments,” Kihara told reporters.
Kihara also met Shin, the first South Korean defense chief to visit Japan in 15 years. They agreed to take steps to deepen their bilateral defense ties.
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