Japan and US Defense Ministers United in Countering China

Minister of Defense of Japan, Gen Nakatani, and the United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had the first one-on-one meeting at Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on March 30th. They shared common notion that their countries are unified as partners in countering China. Hegseth expected Japan to make further effort to enhance its defense capability, indicating President Trump’s argument that US allies should take greater responsibility for their own defense. 

The meeting was held on the day after Shigeru Ishiba participated in a memorial ceremony in Iwo-to Island in Ogasawara region for the first time as incumbent prime minister. The island is known as the place of the Battle of Iwojima in 1945, between Japanese Imperial Force and US Force, that took twenty-seven thousand lives on both sides. Hegseth attended the ceremony, supposedly to symbolize united effort of the US and Japan in defense of islands in Southwest Japan.

 

In the meeting with Hegseth, Nakatani emphasized involvement of both governments to promote deterrence and management of Japan-US alliance. “We shared recognition on the increasingly severe and complex security environment and confirmed our resolution to move forward with a sense of urgency on initiatives to strengthen our respective defense capabilities and to re-import the alliance capabilities to the target and respond,” said Nakatani in the joint press conferenceafter the meeting.

 

Hegseth also emphasized unification of US and Japan, saying that “America first does not mean America alone.” “Our forces operate and train together across all domains to uphold deterrence. America and Japan stand firmly together in the face of aggressive and coercive actions by the Communist Chinese,” told Hegseth.

 

While Japan has decided to increase its defense budget to 2% of GDP, further expansion was expressed by some US leaders close to Trump. Although both Nakatani and Hegseth denied their conversation about actual digit of Japan’s defense budget, Hegseth indicated that they had more to do. “We’re confident that Japan will make the correct determination of what capabilities are needed inside our alliance to make sure we’re standing shoulder to shoulder,” said Hegseth. He also showed his idea that Japan would be on the frontline in contingency in the western Pacific.

 

Hegseth made clear about US involvement in reinforcement of commanding structure of its forces in Japan, revealing its plan to upgrade US Forces Japan to a Joint Force Headquarters. It is recognized as mutual efforts for upgrading their commanding system, paralleled with Japan’s establishment of Joint Operations Command in Japan Self-defense Force.

 

They also agreed on cooperation in developing brand-new defense equipment. Under the framework of Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition and Sustainment Forum (DICAS), both governments start co-production of advanced mid-range air to air missile called AMRAAM. Nakatani intended to pursue co-production of surface to air missile, SM-6. From the perspective of economy, Japan-US alliance seems to contribute not only to US military industry, but to Trump’s tariff policy by focusing on necessity for countering China’s advance in Asia-Pacific region.

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