United States and Japan agreed on Wednesday that its security and defense treaty applies to space, and announced the deployment of a more agile marine infantry unit on allied soil, in the face of growing concerns about China.
Weeks after unveiling plans to increase defense spending, Japan sent its defense and foreign ministers to Washington, and the two countries issued a joint statement pledging “Modernize the alliance to address the increasingly intense security environment.”
The talks take place two days before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the United States as part of a tour of the Group of Seven countries to inaugurate the Japanese presidency this year of the select club of industrial democracies.
As China makes rapid advances in satellites, The United States and Japan warned in their statement that “attacks into, from, or within space present a clear challenge to the security of the alliance.”which could invoke Article Five of their mutual defense treaty, which provides that an attack on one is taken as an attack on both.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin reported that The United States will deploy a new mobile unit of Marines on the island of Okinawa, in southern Japan and strategically close to Taiwanto strengthen the defense of the country.
“We are going to replace an artillery regiment with this force that will be more lethal and more mobile” by 2025, Austin declared.
“We agree that the People’s Republic of China is the greatest common strategic challenge facing us, our allies and our partners”, declared the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, at a press conference with his Japanese counterpart, as well as with the defense ministers of the two countries.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the United States and Japan together have “the vision of a modernized alliance to take the position that allows us to win in the new era of strategic competition.”
Risks for Taiwan
Okinawa is home to more than half of Washington’s 50,000 troops in the Japanese archipelago. Hayashi stated that the Japanese government would continue to work to address residents’ concerns. The meeting comes weeks after Tokyo announced a major review of its defense doctrine.
Japan’s calculation has changed while China is under the presidency of Xi Jinping. Japan, which has called China an “unprecedented strategic challenge” to its security, approved a revision in December that includes a huge increase in military spending over five years.
This is an important turning point for the country, whose pacifist constitution, adopted after its defeat in World War II, prohibits it in principle from having a full-fledged army.
China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as part of its territory and last year carried out moves seen as a rehearsal for an invasion, following a defiant visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
“I am not going to question Mr. Xi, but what I will tell him is that what we are seeing recently is very provocative behavior by Chinese forces,” Austin stated.
“We think they are striving to establish a new normal, but whether or not that means an invasion is imminent, you know, I seriously doubt it,” he said.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing on Thursday that “in carrying out bilateral military cooperation, the United States and Japan must ensure that it does not harm the interests of a third party or the peace.” and regional stability. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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