11/05/2023
Japan to Open the First NATO Liaison Office in Asia Due to Russian Threats
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The war in Ukraine, which shook the world's stability, has urged Japan to reconsider its regional security doctrine, stated Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi during his interview with CNN.
"We're still discussing this" Hayashi told CNN, adding that the negotiations have not yet reached the ultimatum. Despite Japan is not a member of the NATO alliance, the decision to strengthen ties with NATO is intended to demonstrate that its partners within the Asia-Pacific region are "inclusively and systematically cooperating" with the bloc, according to Hayashi.
NATO Liaison Offices are located in both NATO countries and others, which are not members of the alliance, i.e. Ukraine and Austria. Nevertheless, there will be the first Liaison Office established in Asia, allowing NATO to engage more actively with its partners in this region, such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand regarding geopolitical security concerns, new technologies that may have an impact on such issues, cybersecurity, etc.
Hayashi emphasizes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed Japan to strengthen ties with NATO; the consequences of this unlawful act have extended far beyond Europe.
By the end of 2022, Japan had decided to double its military expenses, then followed the negotiations to establish the first NATO Liaison Office in Asia.
"What is happening now in Eastern Europe is not limited to that area; it too impacts the current situation in the Asia Pacific. As a result, it becomes even more important for us to collaborate with NATO in East Asia."
Hayashi describes the regional situation within the sphere of security as "hard and heavy": Tokyo does not only have to deal with consequences arising from Russian aggression but also the DPRK that is building up its missile and nuclear potential, including China, which is asserting its influence all over Asia. Tensions in relations between Japan and Russia in recent months are escalating even more due to naval exercises in the Far Eastern Sea and the joint patrolling of Russian and Chinese warships in the western Pacific Ocean near Japan's territory. Moreover, China has recently made statements opposing the enlargement of NATO's influence in the region. Peking has accused the US of its attempt to establish the Indo-Pacific bloc similar to NATO, which will result in "unpredictable" consequences.
Japan's constitution limits the country's armed forces to the necessity of "self-defense,", Hayashi reminded in order to clarify its pretext for opening the NATO liaison office in Japan: "We do not attack anyone. We protect ourselves from any other means of interference, and in some cases, threats."
Last December, the Japanese government decided to increase its military expenses by two times and purchase jet-powered cruise missiles - the Tomahawk - from the US. Thus this clearly demonstrates that the war in Ukraine and increasingly aggressive acts posed by opponents in the region have long been pressing concerns for Tokyo, as stated by Japan's Prime Minister Kishida last summer:
"We have the feeling that Ukraine today
may be tomorrow's East Asia."
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Translated and arranged by : DEFNET Military English
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Source:
- Япония откроет первый в Азии офис НАТО из-за угроз от России
https://www.moscowtimes.ru/2023/05/10/nato-podbiraetsya-s-vostoka-yaponiya-hochet-otkrit-pervii-v-azii-ofis-alyansa-a42445
- Meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Other Events
https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/actions/202301/_00029.html
