Japan's new defense chief agrees with U.S. to step up deterrence

 

Japan's new defense chief agrees with U.S. to step up deterrence

Minoru Kihara, the newly appointed defense minister of Japan, made his first phone call to Lloyd Austin, his American counterpart, on Thursday, and the two men pledged to enhance the deterrent and reaction capabilities of their long-standing alliance.

After assuming his position earlier this month, Kihara told reporters that he had "constructive discussions" with Austin and that they both agreed to intensify collaboration on those issues. The conversation was made before Kihara's anticipated trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with Austin in person at the beginning of October.

According to Kihara, they also decided to strengthen trilateral cooperation with South Korea as North Korea continues to develop its missile and nuclear capabilities and that Tokyo and Washington will cooperate more closely than ever to thwart any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, where China has been increasingly displaying its military might.

According to the American protection Department, Austin wished Kihara well in his new role and reaffirmed America's "ironclad commitment to the defense of Japan."

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has frequently lauded Japan's commitment to considerably increase its defense capabilities and investment late last year.

In a significant policy shift under the country's war-renouncing Constitution, Japan amended its core military papers in response to the security threats presented by China and North Korea and pledged to develop so-called counterstrike, or enemy base strike, capabilities.

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By 2025, the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment will have replaced the 12th Marine Regiment, which is stationed in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture.

The rearrangement is a part of the American military's attempts to be flexible in small-group marine deployments to far islands, taking into account China's increasing aggressiveness near isolated islets in southern Japan and Taiwan in actions that have increased the possibility of war.

Austin and Kihara, according to Kihara, have agreed to continue talking about the roles, duties, and capabilities of each nation, including how Japan will use its counterstrike capabilities.