Tokyo – President Trump criticized his description of his unilateral security alliance between the United States and Japan in early March. Japanese officials have heard Mr. Trump’s comments before and so far they have continued to develop the country’s national security plan based on U.S. support.
Government officials admit they really have no choice.
“There is no other plan B except the United States.” Takuya Akiyama, The chief deputy director of the North American Affairs Bureau of Japan’s Foreign Ministry told CBS News. “A wise treaty is also a physical existence, and there is no other country that can replace the United States, which is unimaginable.”
USA Probably returning from Europe Under President Trump, despite his comments on Japan, the U.S. military cooperation with Tokyo appears stable, and may even expand as the White House becomes more and more mismatched with Asia. Confident superpower, China.
China’s threat to neighboring countries
Japanese officials may be relieved after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s visit to the White House in February. Trump administration reiterates its commitment to Japan’s defense, including disputes over Beijing in Tokyo Senkaku Islands.
It is one of many land ownership disputes between China and the South China Sea islands, almost all of which claim it is its territory. The White House repeatedly condemned China’s invasion The militarization of the South China Sea and the usual “freedom of navigation” exercises in the region by U.S. warships and aircraft – often aroused sharp condemnation from Beijing.
Anna Money Maker/Getty Pictures
Japanese Prime Minister’s adviser was months after the U.S. election prepared for his meeting with Trump. According to Japanese Foreign Ministry officials, they focus on conveying the benefits of the security alliance to the United States in clear and concise language, Japan’s increase in U.S. defense spending and military procurement.
China has been fast Strengthen its military capabilitiesAccording to U.S. officials, in recent years, including its nuclear program. Last year, China announced a 7.2% increase in its defense budget, which is already the second highest budget in the world, behind the United States.
In February, Taiwan condemned China and deployed its own troops in response to the Chinese military “Shooting Training” exercise held In the Taiwan Strait.
“From the U.S. perspective, it’s clear that if Taiwan falls, if Japan falls, our alliance in the Indo-Pacific is over,” Kenneth Weinstein, president of Japan’s think tank for the Hudson Institute, told CBS News. “China will exercise an extraordinary military swing – will be able to shut down the global transport they see and will be able to protect against wind to the South China Sea and elsewhere.”
Tensional encounters have already occurred between Japanese and Chinese naval ships around the Senkaku Islands, a group of uninhabited islands claimed by Beijing and Tokyo. According to data from the Japanese Coast Guard, Chinese government ships entered sea vessels around the island, which China calls Diaous, with 355 of the 366 days in 2024 being the highest number of violations reported by Japan since China began operations around the island in 2008.
According to foreign and defense officials, Chinese ships operating on the island have not only increased in numbers, but also added more weapons to their arms.
Getty/Istockphoto
Although Japanese analysts do not believe that a Chinese military invasion of the Senkaku Islands is about to occur, they say there is a possibility that accidents or events in the area involve fishing or other non-military vessels, which may lead to rapid military escalation.
“The Chinese Communist Party believes in power. They started to act because they think they are capable of doing it now,” Akio Takahara, a Chinese expert at Tokyo Women’s Christian University, told CBS News. “We hope the United States will increase their presence in the region because the Chinese will certainly enhance their presence in the region.”
What is the major promotion of defense cooperation between the United States and Japan?
In recent years, Japan has improved its defense approach, including placing a 2% of its GDP on defense by 2027. Japan announced a major policy shift in 2022, abandoning the country’s post-World War II defense posture and only decided to gain criminal capacity.
The Trump administration appears to have approved the change, and Japan has not asked for an increase in defense spending in Japan due to concerns about some Japanese officials.
Although Mr. Trump specifically complained this month that Japan’s assumption preparations for fulfilling its mutual defense obligations to the United States under Article 5 of the United States-Japan Security Treaty, Japanese officials tried to pay more attention to Article 6, under which Japan provides the infrastructure and facilities for the U.S. military. And that aspect of the relationship can be set to an extension.
The United States and Japan have been discussing it since Mr. Trump may have established a joint force headquarters in Japan before he returned to the White House. If this happens, it will upgrade the role of the U.S. military in Japan to a command headquarters with operational authority. The Japanese demanded an escalating dialogue in the Biden administration.
If a regional security crisis occurs, such as China’s attack on Taiwan or a disputed South China Sea island – a headquarters with a joint force in Japan will give the U.S. military the ability to respond to orders from the region, rather than waiting for American Indo-Pacific command from Hawaii.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is expected to meet with his Japanese counterpart in late March to discuss efforts to strengthen U.S. military forces in the Pacific region.
Attention to Ukraine
dramatic The Trump administration’s swing On its position Ukraine It also attracted the attention of Japan. Japan has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Japanese officials worry that the precedent that would set if the United States would abandon a partner country when it was seen facing an invasion of a stronger neighbor.
“In view of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, countries’ perceptions of security have changed dramatically,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a regional security summit in June 2022. “I personally have a strong sense of urgency that Ukraine may be East Asia today and tomorrow.”
The Japanese fear that if the United States and the world as a whole are ready to accept changes in the European borders by Russian aggression, they may also refuse to intervene in China’s attack on Taiwan.
“The Chinese will be encouraged that if Xi Jinping does something similar, Trump will be as kind to Xi Jinping as Putin,” Professor Gao Hara told CBS News. “This kind of information will be received in Beijing.”
Officials in Tokyo are trying to continue to focus on long-term bilateral relations with Washington, beyond the Trump administration, but they know China is paying close attention as relations develop, especially given the turbulent Trump administration’s foreign policy.
Gao Hara said: “We don’t know what Mr. Trump will say tomorrow.” But what about the next round? When did it come? No one knows. ”
