Seeking stability 鈥� and responsibility 鈥� Japan builds up military
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Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Friday to hail their countries鈥� robust new military cooperation and Japan鈥檚 unprecedented defense buildup 鈥� essential components of their shared vision for strengthening order and safeguarding peace in the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting underscored Japan鈥檚 status as the United States鈥� most critical ally in Asia, as the Biden administration applauds Tokyo鈥檚 willingness to shoulder greater responsibility for its own defense, and thereby play a bigger role in regional security.
In the Oval Office meeting, Mr. Biden said Japan and the U.S. have never been closer, pledged Washington鈥檚 full support for the alliance, and praised Japan鈥檚 鈥渉istoric increase鈥� in defense spending. Working together for peace and prosperity in the region is vital, Mr. Kishida said, stressing that 鈥淛apan and the United States are currently facing the most challenging and complex security environment in recent history.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onMaintaining peace in Asia requires cooperation. By building up its military, Japan is shouldering more security responsibility, and taking a step toward its vision of a stable region following a shared set of rules and norms.
Under bold new security initiatives announced this week, the U.S. and Japan will work together to protect Japanese satellites, bolster U.S. Marine forces in Japan, and fortify the country with hundreds of long-range American Tomahawk cruise missiles. The agreements come a month after Japan鈥檚 Cabinet approved an ambitious and transformational plan to shore up its military by doubling the share of GDP devoted to national security from 1% to 2% 鈥� spending an estimated $320 billion 鈥� over the next five years. The plan represents the most rapid expansion of Japan鈥檚 military might since World War II, marking a dramatic break with the strictly restrained, pacifist posture pursued by Japan since it established its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in 1954.
鈥淭he main impetus [of Friday鈥檚 meeting] is to highlight the monumental nature of the step Japan has taken,鈥� says Nicholas Szechenyi, deputy director for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 鈥淭he White House wants to give a stamp of approval ... and to send a much broader signal about the strength of the U.S. alliance network.鈥�
The defense push is designed primarily to deter China鈥檚 growing military assertiveness, but Japan鈥檚 larger vision is to build a unifying consensus for Asia, experts say.聽
鈥淛apan鈥檚 ultimate objective in the Indo-Pacific is not to isolate, contain, or weaken China,鈥� says Mr. Szechenyi. 鈥淢ore broadly, Japan鈥檚 objective is to develop an architecture in Asia based on rules and norms that ultimately China adopts.鈥澛�
Stronger military capabilities could allow Japan to eventually enjoy better ties with China, he adds.
Japan鈥檚 top priority today is to work with the U.S., Australia, and other Indo-Pacific countries to counter China鈥檚 coercion and uphold the rules-based order in Asia, says Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. 鈥淛apanese see the future better served in aligning in a coalition with like-minded partners,鈥� she says.
Responding to increasing risks
Longstanding tensions surrounding China鈥檚 military buildup and presence in the East China Sea and North Korea鈥檚 advancing missile technology 鈥� coupled with concerns over Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine 鈥� combined to push Tokyo to adopt the sweeping plans to expand its defense capabilities.
Japan鈥檚 national security strategy, unveiled last month, says China poses 鈥渢he greatest strategic challenge鈥� ever to peace and stability in Japan. China now has hundreds of missiles capable of hitting the island, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Last August during major exercises around Taiwan, China fired five missiles into waters that are part of Japan鈥檚 exclusive economic zone, highlighting the risks for Japan of a Taiwan Strait conflict.
North Korea in October launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan 鈥� the first in five years. And Russia has increased its military exercises and activity near Japan, including in joint exercises with China.
The shock to the international order of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine was a key factor in convincing Japan鈥檚 leaders and the public alike that the country must assume greater responsibility to safeguard its territory.聽
鈥淯kraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,鈥� Prime Minister Kishida warned last summer.
The Russian invasion drove home to Japanese citizens not only the need for their country to acquire the ability to strike back at aggressors, but the urgency of doing so, experts say. Recent polls show that a majority of Japanese support the country鈥檚 plan to obtain a counterstrike capability with long-range missiles.
Before the Ukraine conflict, 鈥渕any Japanese didn鈥檛 believe a major war could occur. 鈥� They have been living in a kind of euphoria,鈥� says Tsuneo Watanabe, senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, an independent policy research organization in Tokyo. But the invasion 鈥渕ade it easy to say that Japan needs to be ready,鈥� he says.
Cross-border buildup
Japan鈥檚 defense buildup is both ambitious and comprehensive, calling for a new integrated command to boost the ability of its three SDF forces to fight together, new investments in weapons technologies and innovation, and expanded cyber and space capabilities. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine, it stresses secure stockpiles of basic supplies such as ammunition and fuel.
Critically, Tokyo will also gain 鈥渃ounterstrike capability鈥� from their planned purchase of American Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 1,000 miles, allowing Japan to hit back deep within Asia. After decades of limiting the geographic reach of its military, 鈥淛apan will for the first time have missile 鈥� capabilities that allow it to reach out and touch its neighbors,鈥� says Dr. Smith.
Despite the sense of urgency, the upgrades will take time, and heated debate is already underway domestically on how Japan will finance them. Mr. Kishida, a former foreign minister whose hometown is Hiroshima, is widely viewed as more diplomatic and dovish, and these qualities may have made it easier for him politically to push through the defense measures with less opposition, said Glen Fukushima, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, in an online talk Friday.
Tokyo is coordinating closely with Washington both on prioritizing and incorporating new defense capabilities, which by better protecting Japan could also free up U.S. forces. Meanwhile, other U.S. treaty allies in Asia such as South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines are also increasing defense cooperation.聽
For its part, Taiwan has welcomed Japan鈥檚 new defense initiatives as helpful for maintaining peace, while China has criticized the moves for provoking tension.
Growing concern over a Taiwan contingency is a major motivation behind Japan鈥檚 buildup, experts say. 鈥淚f China planned to have a military operation to unify Taiwan, it鈥檚 impossible to avoid passing our territorial waters,鈥� says Mr. Watanabe. 鈥淛apan wants 鈥� to deter such military action by China 鈥� that is the very first priority to maintain our security.鈥�
Overall, Japan鈥檚 stepping up its defense capability and the broader strengthening of U.S. alliances in Asia reflects a heightened emphasis on shared principles as risks increase, says Dr. Smith, author of 鈥淛apan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power.鈥�
鈥淲hen the tensions get high,鈥� she says, 鈥渋t provides opportunity for greater integration.鈥�
