Japan’s Participation in NATO Summit

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) issued a declaration in the summit meeting at Washington, DC, the United States, which reconfirmed firm support for Ukraine fighting Russia. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida joined the meeting as a semi-ally of NATO, bringing focus on security situation in East Asia. NATO unusually emphasized threat of China supporting Russia. 

Washington Summit Declaration announced NATO’s full support for Ukraine, saying “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.” Although it did not refer to when Ukraine would join NATO, the leaders stressed increasing Ukraine’s integration with the alliance. “We will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. We reaffirm that we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met,” says the declaration, referring to Ukraine’s reform in democracy, economy and security.

 

Kishida joined a partnership meeting of the summit with leaders of Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. He expressed strong sense of crisis that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow.” Kishida insisted on his concern on military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas would be unacceptable.

 

“The PRC has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” the declaration accused China. The structure of confrontation between the Western countries and authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China or Notrh Korea became further obvious.

 

Kishida appealed Japan’s own effort in regional security, calling cooperative framework with ROK, Australia and NZ the Indo-Pacific Four, and promised technological contribution to NATO. He hoped enhancement of classified information sharing with NATO and announced a plan to have a strategic communication meeting in Japan. Japan will participate in a joint exercise with NATO in Euro-Atlantic region.

 

Since Russian invasion to Ukraine in 2022, Kishida has been approaching to NATO. He recognized Russian aggression as an explicit change of status quo, which could be occurring in Asian region. One measure is enhancing Japan’s own security capability, as seen in increasing defense budget. Another is building international network to deal with advance of major power such as China.

 

However, it is not easy for Japanese government to secure 43 trillion yen of defense budget for five years, because of depreciation of Japanese yen or deteriorated credibility on Kishida administration after the slush fund scandal was revealed. As Japan insist on its role in supporting Ukraine, the European countries and US showed their reluctancy through general elections in the United Kingdom and France or presidential election campaign in US.

 

As far as diplomacy and security policy is lifelines of Kishida administration, it is likely that Kishida is keeping its positive stance in supporting Ukraine. However, if he stresses the crisis in East Asia too much, it may alienate Japan from the Western countries which are careful in being involved in Indo-Pacific region.