As the globe approaches a “historic turning point” due to spiralling geopolitical tensions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told on Sunday that his country must alter its defence strategy. This comes ahead of a much anticipated meeting with US President Joe Biden next week.”We are facing a historic turning point as we are witnessing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing situation over the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia,” Kishida stated in an interview held at his Tokyo private residence.
He stated, “For this reason, Japan has decided to significantly strengthen its defence capabilities and we have changed Japan’s security policy on these fronts.”In the face of mounting security challenges, the prime minister stressed, the Japan-United States alliance is becoming “ever more important,” a view he said he hoped would garner bipartisan support in Washington. Kishida made the remarks days ahead of his Wednesday meeting with Biden in Washington, where he will also address a joint session of Congress and participate in the very first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines.
The Kishida-Biden summit has been characterized by Washington as a historic opportunity for the two countries to modernize their alliance as both eye regional threats from North Korea’s weapons testing and burgeoning relations with Russia to China’s aggression in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan.Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the defense relationship has expanded under Kishida, who has raised Japan’s profile in global and regional security.Since coming to office in 2021, the prime minister has overseen a sweeping shift in Tokyo’s defense posture, veering away from the pacifist constitution imposed on it by the United States in the aftermath of World War II, to boost defense spending to about 2% of its GDP by 2027 and acquire counterstrike capabilities.
That move is not without controversy, especially in China and other parts of Asia that suffered hugely under Japan’s World War II era militarism. When asked about that shift, Kishida pointed to the “severe and complex” security environment surrounding his East Asian nation, the world’s fourth-largest economy. “In our neighborhood, there are countries that are developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and others that are building up their defense capabilities in an opaque way. Also, there is a unilateral attempt to change the status quo, by force, in both the East China Sea and South China Sea,” he said, in an apparent reference to Chinese maritime aggression related to territorial disputes with both the Philippines and Japan.
Kishida’s visit with Biden next week also comes as both leaders face uncertain circumstances at home. The Japanese prime minister grapples with dismal approval ratings, primarily following scandals involving his party, and the looming US elections raise the potential of a policy shake up if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House next year. Both during his administration and in more recent years Trump has repeatedly poured cold water on Washington’s defense and security treaties, something that has rattled allies in both Asia and Europe alike.
Kishida declined to comment on if he was concerned about a return of the former president. Instead, he expressed belief that the importance of the US-Japan alliance was widely recognized “regardless of party affiliation.” “The relationship between Japan and the United States has become stronger than ever before … Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, I think it is important to make sure that the American people recognize the importance of the Japan-US relationship,” he said.
Since taking office, Kishida has also positioned Japan as a partner to the US not only in Asia, but more globally.He has championed a view that security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inextricably linked, while emerging as a staunch backer of Ukraine and closely aligning with G7 countries in its position on Russia. Those linkages have been close to home for Japan, as Russian and Chinese militaries conduct joint drills in the region and North Korea has now been accused by G7 nations of supplying Moscow with arms for use in its war in Ukraine – raising global concerns about an emerging axis between the three countries who all have tense relations with the United States.
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