Japan is an important member of the Quad alliance in Asia, which includes the US, India and Australia and was created in part to counter Chinese power in the Indo-Pacific region. Chinese officials say the US is clearly trying to use alliances and partnerships in the region to contain China, including Quad and AUKUS, a new security alliance formed by the US, Britain and Australia.
The United States and Japan on Friday announced a new agreement to cooperate in space and exploration of the moon and “other celestial bodies.” US Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi signed the agreement.
U.S. and Japanese officials said Wednesday that the two countries will expand their military cooperation, including improving what the governments call Japan’s anti-missile capabilities and making the U.S. Marine unit in that country more flexible for a possible war. Japan says it plans to buy hundreds of US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles. At this time, Britain was America’s only ally with missiles.
Administrations in Tokyo have spent decades reexamining the meaning of constitutional restrictions on the nation’s security forces, Mr. Kishida’s decision went beyond what even some pessimistic members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party wanted. Say it publicly.
Renewing those pledges in Washington, Mr. With vocal support from Biden and other US officials, Mr. Kishida locks in some of his new military commitments. He now has to get Japan’s parliament, the Diet, to help deliver them.
Japan’s move to build up its military power could cause unrest in South Korea, another US ally, because of lingering anger among many Koreans over Japan’s violent occupation of the Korean peninsula last century. The issue continues to affect relations between the two countries.
Under the new U.S. deployment arrangement in Japan, those operating in Okinawa as part of the 12th Marine Regiment will become an artillery division and a more mobile group: the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment. U.S. officials said the new structure would allow troops to more easily evacuate to other islands along the coast when needed.
