The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States will hold security consultations on July 28 where they will for the first time discuss “extended deterrence,” a term describing the U.S. determination to use nuclear force to deter attacks on allies.
Wong Yu Liang | Moment | Getty Images
The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States will hold security consultations on July 28 where they will for the first time discuss “extended deterrence,” a term describing the U.S. determination to use nuclear force to deter attacks on allies.
While the two men have previously discussed the issue at low levels, their latest meeting will address a sensitive topic for Japan, which promotes the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and is the only country to have suffered an atomic bombing.
Washington and Tokyo in April announced a historic strengthening of the U.S.-Japan alliance, first forged in 1951. The allies aim to deter growing regional threats from China, Russia and North Korea.
“Given unprecedented and growing threats in the region, the United States and Japan intend to stand up in a responsible manner to ensure not only Japan’s defense but also its contributions to regional security,” Daniel Krittenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said ahead of the talks in Japan.
“Our security treaty obligations to our allies are stringent, and we will meet those obligations with all tools available to America, including nuclear weapons.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also due to hold bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart during the visit, part of a pan-Asia tour to reassure allies of US support as November’s US presidential election casts uncertainty over US foreign policy.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is also scheduled to hold three-way talks with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.
The security talks with Japan are also expected to include efforts to strengthen defense industry cooperation and strengthen command and control structures to increase coordination between the two militaries.
“This historic 2+2 meeting will cement our shift in focus from protecting the alliance to advancing the alliance,” U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said.
“The transformation of the command structure of U.S. forces in Japan, aligned with Japan’s launch of a groundbreaking unified command center next March, will ensure the alliance is better prepared and equipped to meet security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region for decades to come.”
The talks come as the United States considers the possibility of the biggest overhaul of its military command structure in East Asia in decades, with Japan planning to set up a new unified command overseeing its Self-Defense Forces by March next year.
Japan is home to 54,000 American troops, hundreds of aircraft and Washington’s only forward-deployed carrier strike group, making it the hub from which the U.S. projects military power in Asia.