By Simon Lewis and Tim Kelly
TOKYO (Reuters) -The USA on Sunday introduced plans for a serious revamp of its navy command in Japan to deepen coordination with its ally’s forces, as the 2 nations labelled China the “greatest strategic challenge” dealing with the area.
The announcement adopted safety talks in Tokyo between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and their respective Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara.
“The United States will upgrade the U.S. Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities,” Austin informed reporters after the so-called “2+2” talks.
“This will be the most significant change to U.S Forces Japan since its creation and one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years.”
The ministers stated in a joint assertion that the brand new command construction can be applied in parallel with Tokyo’s personal plans to ascertain a joint command for its forces by March 2025.
The overhaul is amongst a number of measures taken to deal with what the nations stated was an “evolving security environment”, noting varied threats from superpower China.
The assertion criticised what it referred to as Beijing’s “provocative” behaviour within the South and East China Seas, joint navy workout routines with Russia and the speedy enlargement of its nuclear weapons arsenal.
Beijing’s “foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others,” the ministers stated of their assertion.
“Such behaviour is a serious concern to the Alliance and the entire international community and represents the greatest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond”.
China’s overseas ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Reuters.
Austin informed reporters the command improve was “not based on any threat from China” however mirrored the allies’ need to work extra carefully and successfully.
Japan supplies a base for the U.S. to challenge navy energy in Asia, internet hosting 54,000 American troops, a whole bunch of U.S. plane and Washington’s solely forward-deployed plane service strike group.
Prompted by China’s rising navy may and common missile exams by nuclear-armed North Korea, Japan has lately shifted dramatically from a long time of postwar pacifism. In 2022 it unveiled a plan to double defence spending to 2% of gross home product.
The brand new U.S. command in Japan might be headed by a three-star common, a U.S. official stated, nonetheless Austin stated the U.S. wouldn’t rule out appointing a four-star commander to Japan sooner or later because it has in neighbouring South Korea.
NUCLEAR UMBRELLA
For the primary time, the ministers additionally mentioned “extended deterrence”, a time period used to explain the U.S. dedication to make use of its nuclear forces to discourage assaults on allies.
It’s delicate topic in Japan, which has pushed for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and is the one nation to have suffered atomic bomb assaults.
The nations mentioned reinforcing prolonged deterrence to advertise regional stability and deter the outbreak of battle, in accordance with an official readout that was scant on element.
“Amidst increasingly severe nuclear threats in the vicinity of Japan, it is important to further strengthen extended deterrence. I welcome the continuously deepening discussion on this matter,” Japan’s Kamikawa informed reporters on the outset of the talks.
The allies additionally expressed deep concern about Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles from North Korea to help its struggle in Ukraine and the potential for Moscow to switch weapons of mass destruction or missile-related expertise to Pyongyang.
North Korea has vowed to “totally destroy” its enemies in case of struggle, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Sunday.
Austin and Kihara additionally met South Korean Defence Minister Shin Gained-sik, signing an settlement to “institutionalise” trilateral cooperation by way of efforts like real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning knowledge and joint navy workout routines.
The Biden administration has been pushing for deeper cooperation between Tokyo and Seoul, whose strained relations date again to Japan’s 1910-1945 occupation of Korea.
“This memorandum strengthens the cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea, making our partnership unshakable, no matter how the international situation changes,” Japan’s Kihara informed reporters after the trilateral assembly.
Washington additionally needs to faucet Japanese trade to assist ease strain on U.S. weapons makers stretched by demand generated by conflicts in Ukraine and the Center East.
Tokyo and Washington are pursuing varied collaborations on this discipline, together with advancing missile co-production efforts in addition to constructing provide chain resilience and facilitating ship and plane restore.
Nonetheless, one flagship challenge – a plan to make use of Japanese factories to spice up manufacturing of Patriot air defence missiles – is being delayed by a scarcity of a essential element manufactured by Boeing (NYSE:), Reuters reported this month.
After leaving Tokyo, Blinken and Austin will maintain safety talks with one other Asian ally, the Philippines, because the Biden administration seeks to counter an more and more daring China.
Blinken met along with his Chinese language counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on Saturday and repeated that Washington and its companions wish to preserve a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, in accordance with a U.S. readout of the assembly.
