A new report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies says Japan should work with Taiwan and other Asian democracies to promote security throughout the region.
Written by former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage and former National Intelligence Council chairman Joseph Nye, the report, The US-Japan Alliance: Anchoring Stability in Asia, urges Tokyo to increase ties and collaboration with Taiwan, India, Australia and the Philippines, and to “ensure unhindered sea-based trade, and to promote overall economic and security well-being.”
There is a “drift” in the US-Japan relationship, and the health and welfare of “one of the world’s most important alliances” is endangered, says the report, which was released on Wednesday.
The report says this comes at a time when the resurgence of China, North Korea with its nuclear capabilities and hostile intentions, and the promise of Asia’s dynamism demand more from the alliance.
“The United States needs a strong Japan no less than Japan needs a strong United States,” it says.
The most immediate challenge is in Japan’s own neighborhood, it says.
“China’s assertive claims to most of the East China Sea and virtually all of the South China Sea, and the dramatic increase in the operational tempo of the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] and other maritime services, including repeated circumnavigation of Japan, reveal Beijing’s intention to assert greater strategic influence throughout the First Island Chain,” it says.
A military contingency in the South China Sea would have severe implications for the security and stability of Japan.
“Japan requires offensive responsibilities to provide for the defense of the nation,” it says.
Both the US and Japan need more “robust, shared and interoperable” intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and operations.
The report offers a series of policy recommendations to both Tokyo and Washington, and it advises Tokyo to continue engagement in regional forums and with democratic partners, particularly Taiwan, India, Australia and the Philippines.
“Japan should also increase surveillance of the South China Sea in collaboration with the US to ensure freedom of navigation,” the report says.
It urges the US and Japan to improve the quality of their bilateral defense exercises, and make full use of training opportunities in Guam and Australia.
In addition, it says the US and Japan should jointly develop weaponry.
“Japan has the power to decide between complacency and leadership at a time of strategic importance. With the dynamic changes taking place throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Japan will likely never have the same opportunity to help guide the fate of the region,” it says. “In choosing leadership, Japan can secure her status as a tier-one nation.”
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS