The United States and Japan will hold their first-ever ministerial meeting on “extended deterrence” in Tokyo next week amid growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the State Department.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, during the visit, while U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold three-way talks with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea.
The term “extended deterrence” refers to the U.S. commitment to use its nuclear capabilities to deter and defend allies and partners.
Although the issue has been previously discussed at lower levels, the upcoming talks will elevate a subject that is particularly sensitive for Tokyo. Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bomb attacks, has long advocated for the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
“In the face of growing unprecedented threats in the region, the United States and Japan are going to demonstrate in a responsible way how we will stand up and ensure not just the defense of Japan but also our contribution to regional security,” Mr. Kritenbrink said.
“It’s important in the face of those threats to reiterate what we’ve said many times, that our security treaty commitments to our Japanese allies are ironclad and we’re committed to using all means at America’s disposal, including nuclear, to make sure that we meet those commitments.”
At the summit, Washington and Tokyo reaffirmed the significance of enhancing U.S. extended deterrence and called for an in-depth talk at the ministerial level.
The meeting next week will also discuss security challenges facing the two countries and strengthen security and defense cooperation based on the outcome of the April summit in Washington.
The U.S.–Japan security talks will also include efforts to deepen cooperation between defense industries and upgrade command structures to improve coordination between their militaries.
“These historic 2+2 talks will cement our shift from a focus on Alliance protection to one of Alliance projection,” U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said.
“Through a transformation of the command structure of the United States forces in Japan, aligned with Japan’s own ground breaking launch of its joint command next March, the Alliance will be ready and equipped to respond to the security challenges of the Indo-Pacific for decades to come.”
The upcoming U.S.–Japan meeting follows growing geopolitical tensions amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese communist regime’s move to expand its nuclear arsenal.
The report highlights that the Chinese regime is rapidly expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, potentially surpassing the United States or Russia in the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles within the next decade.
