Japan and U.S. to Discuss Enhanced Military Cooperation
Top officials from Japan and the United States will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for the "2+2" security talks, aiming to further strengthen their military collaboration. This comes amidst a growing threat from China and the need to bolster regional security.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, for the discussions. This meeting will reaffirm the alliance between the two nations following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the November presidential race.
For the first time, the ministers will hold separate talks to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to "extended deterrence," including atomic weapons. This shift comes as Japan becomes more open to discussing this sensitive issue in the face of growing nuclear threats from Russia and China.
The talks will also focus on upgrading the command and control structures for U.S. forces in Japan. This includes bringing in higher-ranked officers with commanding authority to create a U.S. counterpart for Japan's unified command, which is set to be inaugurated in March.
Currently, the commander for the U.S. Forces Japan, headquartered in Yokota, has no commanding authority. Instead, it comes from the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. Upgrading USFJ's command and control capability is designed to improve joint exercises and operations between the two nations.
The meeting will also see discussions on Japan's increased military buildup and its growing collaboration with the U.S. and South Korea. Japan has also been easing its arms export restrictions and has accommodated a U.S. request for shipment of surface-to-air PAC-3 missile interceptors produced in Japan under an American license.
The ministers are expected to discuss increased Japanese production of PAC-3 interceptors for export to the United States. This follows an April agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Biden to accelerate arms industry cooperation between the two nations.
While Japan's role is primarily designed to support U.S. weapons supply and maintain its deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, Japanese officials believe it will also strengthen the Japanese defense industry.