Latest news with #GenNakatani
Japan Forward
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Defense Strategy in Focus as China Escalates in East and South China Seas
On May 31, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia, and the Philippines met in Singapore. In a joint statement, they expressed "continued serious concern about China's destabilizing actions in the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS) and any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion." The four nations also "committed to continue working together and with other like-minded partners to support peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific." Participants included Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. During the meeting, Nakatani noted China has become more active than ever in the East and South China Seas. This was the third meeting of the four defense ministers since May 2024. In the joint statement, they also agreed to develop their partnership in the four key areas of defense investments, information-sharing, cybersecurity and resilience, operational coordination and interoperability. Separately, Japan, the US, and Australia held a trilateral defense meeting. During the talks, the three nations agreed to conduct live-fire exercises and deepen cooperation related to Tomahawk cruise missiles, which Japan and Australia are procuring from the United States. In the bilateral Japan-US defense talks, the two sides agreed to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. This move follows the passage of legislation in Japan enabling proactive cyber defense. They also confirmed plans to coordinate closely on the newly formulated American National Defense Strategy (NDS). When asked by reporters whether the US had requested Japan increase its defense spending, Nakatani declined to comment. Defense ministers from Japan, the US, Australia, and the Philippines attend the meeting. May 31, Singapore (©Sankei by Shusuke Takenouchi) That same day, Nakatani followed up these meetings with a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia security summit. "We will work to restore a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific," he promised. He also stressed that through cooperation on defense equipment and other measures, "Japan will remain ASEAN's and the region's best partner." The four-nation Japan-US-Australia-Philippines defense ministers' meeting additionally signaled the desire to continue multilateral cooperation. With China's defense budget now more than four times Japan's, maintaining deterrence will require more than just the US-Japan alliance. Stronger ties with Australia and the Philippines, which face similar threats, are also essential. In February 2025, the four countries conducted cooperative maritime exercises in the South China Sea. China continues to face off with the Philippines by building artificial islands and expanding CCP military bases in waters under Manila's administrative jurisdiction. Meanwhile, in the seas off Australia, the Chinese navy has conducted live-fire drills. Both Australia and the Philippines face territorial intrusions, as Japan does around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. All three are contending with increasing Chinese military pressure. The framework of Japan-US-Australia-Philippines cooperation was launched under the previous Joe Biden administration. President Donald Trump has shown reluctance toward multilateral frameworks that limit US autonomy. Nevertheless, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines now appear to be aligning closely in hopes of drawing Trump's attention and securing continued US engagement. Japan is also advancing bilateral defense cooperation with both Australia and the Philippines. It has designated Australia as a "quasi-ally," second only to the US, and has plans to collaborate in developing counterstrike capabilities. Through direct assistance, Japan has provided the Philippines with air defense radar systems. Should the radar data eventually be shared with Japan's Self-Defense Forces, "movements of the Chinese military would be fully visible," according to a former defense minister. Notably absent from the latest talks was South Korea. In the event of a Taiwan contingency, Seoul's cooperation would be critical to deter provocations or escalation from North Korea. However, with South Korea in a transition period ahead of its presidential election, no minister-level official was dispatched to the security summit. Soldiers conducting live-fire drills in the Kinmen Island area, a Taiwanese outlying island (©Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Kyodo). All five countries ー Japan, the US, Australia, the Philippines, and South Korea ー met for the first time in November 2024. A senior official at Japan's Ministry of Defense admitted, "We had hoped for all five nations to gather again." Defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea has effectively stalled since former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a martial law emergency in December 2024. Nakatani is exploring an early visit to South Korea following the June 3 presidential election with a view to restarting engagement. (Read the related articles in Japanese.) Author: Shusuke Takenouchi, The Sankei Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Defense Minister Calls for Enhancing Multinational Security Cooperation at Asia Security Summit in Singapore
Hirotaka Kuriyama / The Yomiuri Shimbun Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, right, shakes hands with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Singapore on Sunday. SINGAPORE — Defense Minister Gen Nakatani called for stronger relations with like-minded countries, including the United States, to increase deterrence against China in conjunction with the Asian Security Summit in Singapore held from Friday to Sunday. As the U.S. government is increasing its pressure on allies and like-minded countries through tariff measures, Nakatani focused on maintaining multinational cooperation. After finishing his meetings at the summit, which is also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Nakatani told reporters on Sunday, 'I exchanged opinions with many defense ministers, and reaffirmed the need to strengthen defense cooperation and partnership.' On the same day, Nakatani met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles to call on the Australian government to jointly develop ships based on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami class destroyers regarding Canberra's plan to introduce a new type of ship. If joint development is realized, it is expected that interoperability between the SDF and the Australian military will be improved. Nakatani also held individual talks with the defense ministers of the Philippines and Malaysia, which are both in dispute with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea, and held bilateral meetings with a total of eight countries during his stay. The defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines held a meeting on Saturday. The meeting was aimed at maintaining U.S. involvement in the Indo-Pacific region as the Trump administration, which has been accused of disregarding its allies, has been at odds with other countries over tariff measures. The ministers confirmed that they will meet regularly in the future, expressed 'serious concern' about China's attempts to change the status quo and reconciled their perceptions of China. A trilateral defense ministers' meeting of Japan, the United States and Australia was also held on Saturday. The ministers issued a statement acknowledging the importance of partnership. Nakatani's focus on maintaining multinational cooperation, including with the United States, at the summit is aimed at preventing China, which has been making unilateral advances in the region, from taking advantage of the growing distrust of the U.S. to expand its influence in the region. On Saturday, Nakatani delivered his address at the Asian Security Summit and emphasized the importance of 'the rules-based international order.' He also proposed the cooperative framework of OCEAN (One Cooperative Effort Among Nations) so that countries sharing common values and interests will jointly expand their cooperation. 'Each of the countries also expressed similar views. I got responses indicating that all of them shared the same opinion,' Nakatani told reporters on Sunday. However, it remains to be seen whether the relationship between the United States and its allies and like-minded countries will be able to improve. A senior Defense Ministry official said, 'It will be increasingly necessary for Japan to compensate for the decline in the U.S. presence.'
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Nakatani offers OCEAN security concept for all Indo-Pacific area
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference on May 31 in Singapore. (Mizuki Sato) SINGAPORE—Japan was involved in flurry of solidarity activities apparently with China in mind at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asian defense conference, here. In a speech on May 31, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani proposed a security concept called OCEAN (One Cooperative Effort Among Nations). Under OCEAN, cooperation and partnership would strengthen among countries with common values to monitor the entire Indo-Pacific region, Nakatani said. Also that day, the defense chiefs of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines met for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration in January. In a joint statement, they expressed continued and serious concern about China's attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Nakatani also met separately with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and they confirmed a policy of strengthening cooperation in the cyber domain. After the meeting, Nakatani was asked by reporters about Hegseth's speech calling on Japan to increase defense spending. 'It is important for Japan to take the initiative,' Nakatani said. He added that he had conveyed this idea to Hegseth in the past.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan and Philippines agree to strengthen defense cooperation
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the SDF and the Philippine military. China has repeatedly intruded into Japanese waters off the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and has territorial disputes with the Philippines in the South China Sea. Japan and the Philippines, at a summit meeting in April, confirmed the importance of the early conclusion of an information protection agreement and the start of negotiations on an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement. Through the strengthening of its relationship with the Philippines, Japan hopes to increase the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation, including that involving the United States and Australia. Also on Sunday, Nakatani held talks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles. They discussed the Australian Navy's plan to introduce new frigates, and Nakatani urged the Australian side to select the Maritime SDF's Mogami-class destroyers. "If adopted, the interoperability between the SDF and the Australian military will be further enhanced, which is of great strategic value to both countries," Nakatani told reporters after the meeting. On the same day, Nakatani also met separately with the defense ministers of Thailand, New Zealand and Malaysia to confirm the promotion of defense cooperation. On Saturday, the Japanese defense minister held separate talks with his counterparts from France and Singapore.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Japan, Philippines agree to strengthen defense cooperation
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the SDF and the Philippine military.
