The 2+2 Solidifies Security Cooperation between Japan and the U.S.

The secretaries and ministers for foreign affairs and defense of both Japan and the United States issued the joint statementafter the Security Consultative Committee (2+2) in Tokyo on July 28. The statement focused on enhancing interoperability of both forces, including establishment of new commanding system in each defense organization, procurement of defense equipment and upgrading discussion over extended deterrence. Those measures were introduced to counter recent military progress of China, as well as Russia and North Korea, which may cause further tension between regimes of democracy and authoritarianism in the Indo-Pacific region. 

With the National Defense Strategy in 2022, Japan decided to establish a permanent Joint Headquarters, which would unify the commands of three self-defense forces (JSDF), to reinforce effectiveness of joint operational posture. Along with those developments of defense organization in Japan, the 2+2 noted U.S. intention to reconstitute the U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) as a joint force headquarters.

 

While the interoperability is based on equivalence of both forces, there is a concern in Japan that JSDF will be subordinated to U.S. Force with its dependency in terms of information, capabilities or decision making. Some hope that the commander of U.S. headquarters would be in the rank of General to balance the title of both commanders.

 

The 2+2 also stepped forward for further technological cooperation in defense equipment. “The Ministers welcomed high-priority efforts to pursue beneficial co-production opportunities to expand production capacity of Advanced Medium-range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE),” says the joint statement of the 2+2.

 

The Japanese government eased the regulation for exporting defense equipment by revising the Three Principles of Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology in 2023. Concerning that Japanese manufacturers had been producing defense equipment under the U.S. license, the revision enabled them to export it to original country of the license.

 

One of the highlighted events in the bilateral meetings was upgrading the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) to the minister level. While both governments continued EDD in the level of senior officials since 2010, the both recognized a necessity to enhance cooperation for extended deterrence, including nuclear, realizing severe strategic and nuclear environment.

 

However, promoting EDD means further dependence of security of Japan on U.S. nuclear deterrence. Some newspapers discussed contradiction of Kishida who upheld the world without nuclear weapons as the chairman of G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023. Introducing the history of EDD established by request of Japan, Tokyo Shimbun quoted a comment of an expert of nuclear disarmament that EDD might give North Korea a reason to justify its possession of nuclear weapons.

 

The biggest reason for Japan and the U.S. to enhance their security cooperation was growing power of China in the Indo-Pacific Region. “The Ministers concurred that the People’s Republic of China’s foreign policy seeks to reshape that international order for its own benefit at the expense of others,” says the 2+2 joint statement. They regarded China’s behavior as a serious concern to the alliance and the international community.

 

Both Japan and the U.S. needed to reconfirm those principles for their security cooperation, because of the volatility of their leadership. The U.S. President Joe Biden announced his standing down as the candidate for the presidential election in November. It is difficult to predict whether the bilateral relationship will be maintained under the leadership of possible president Donald Trump who argued that U.S. allies including Japan had not paid cost for the defense owing to the U.S.

 

Kishida is too unpopular in the polls to be assured as the prime minister after the presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party in September. The 2+2 statement was written with a hope of both officials of Japan and the U.S. that the agreements made between the leaders should at least be institutionalized as a diplomatic document.