Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand invited to next week’s NATO summit in Lithuania
TOKYO-In a groundbreaking move, Japan has taken decisive action to establish a NATO liaison office in Tokyo, solidifying its position alongside Western nations and reaffirming its stance against China.
The Japanese ambassador to the United States recently unveiled plans to inaugurate a NATO liaison office in Tokyo. Historically reliant on the United States for its national security since the conclusion of World War II, Japan has recently undertaken measures to bolster its own defense capabilities and forge stronger security ties with Western countries.
Kenji Wakamiya, a former Senior Vice-Minister of Defense in Japan and a member of the House of Representatives, highlighted the significance of enhancing Japan’s partnership with NATO. Speaking to Fox News Digital, he emphasized the importance of constructing a multifaceted security network by deepening collaboration with NATO, particularly in Europe, while still upholding the U.S.-Japan alliance as the cornerstone of Japan’s national security policy.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has also expressed his intention to meet with the leaders of South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand during the NATO summit in Lithuania, which commences this week. According to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, the discussions will focus on devising strategies to address China’s escalating presence in the East and South China Seas, as well as its growing partnerships in the South Pacific islands.
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“As we deepen our ties with NATO, it is equally crucial to strengthen our relationships with Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea,” emphasized Wakamiya. “By doing so, we can fortify our security network across the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.”
“I firmly believe that countries seeking to forcibly alter the existing order should not be confronted by a single nation alone. Instead, we should deter such actions by constructing a multi-layered security network that provides a broader safety net.”
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While Prime Minister Kishida has affirmed that Japan does not have plans to join NATO, the country has indeed been strengthening its connections with the multinational defense organization for more than a year. In a significant milestone, Kishida became the first Japanese leader to address NATO headquarters in June 2022. Furthermore, Japan has cooperated with NATO in providing emergency supplies to Turkey through airlift operations earlier this year.
China has taken notice of Japan’s efforts to enhance its ties with NATO through the establishment of a liaison office in Tokyo. In response to the proposal of a NATO liaison office in Tokyo, a spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry stated, “The Asia-Pacific region does not welcome collective confrontation or military conflicts,” as reported by Reuters.
Lance Gatling, a retired U.S. Army Japan strategic planner and former U.S. Department of Defense liaison officer to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff Office, shared with Fox News Digital that Japan’s closer collaboration with NATO serves as a means to deter China.
“In 2022, NATO explicitly identified China as a ‘systemic challenge’ in its latest Strategic Concept and extended an invitation to Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia to participate in the NATO Summit, recognizing them as ‘Indo-Pacific partners.'”
Gatling highlighted that Japan’s dialogue with South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand carries significant symbolic weight, but it must be followed up with actions that demonstrate increasing commitment, complexity, and difficulty. He also emphasized the importance of liaison offices in facilitating the planning and coordination of such endeavors.
Japan finds itself in a progressively hazardous region with China, North Korea, and Russia in close proximity. During the G-7 summit held in Japan in May, the focus was squarely on the threats posed by both China and Russia, as reported by Fox News. It is noteworthy that Japan shares a maritime border with Russia in the vicinity of Hokkaido, which is Japan’s northernmost prefecture.
Furthermore, North Korea has repeatedly violated Japanese territorial sovereignty by conducting missile launches. Merely last month, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.
In 2022, Japan significantly augmented its defense budget and made an announcement in February regarding the procurement of 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States. These developments complement Japan’s efforts to enhance its collaboration with the United States, NATO, and other Western nations.
According to Gatling, Japan’s proactive stance in national defense serves the interests of both the United States and Japan itself. He emphasized that Japan has garnered consensus to pursue a counterstrike capability, a departure from its previous focus on weapons strictly aligned with defensive purposes. This shift allows for a division of counterstrike missions between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the United States in contingencies.
Gatling further asserted that this development is of significant importance in Japanese national defense as it strengthens the security of both Japan and the United States. He highlighted the broad support required to attain a Japanese consensus in adopting such a posture, marking a major event in Japan’s national defense strategy.