United States and Japan agree to advance defense research and development amid China’s growing threat

The United States and Japan have agreed to increased defense cooperation going forward.

The foreign and defense ministers of the United States and Japan held a virtual meeting this week to discuss Japan’s security role as China threatens to upset peace.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the ministers said they had discussed various topics, including COVID-19, climate change, the economy and more. The bulk of the discussion, however, centered around the ongoing threat of China, and ways in which the two nations can cooperatively combat any attempts by China to destabilize the region.

Some of the measures agreed upon were more broadly focused, with the nations saying they plan to “constantly modernize the Alliance and strengthen joint capabilities by fully aligning strategies and prioritizing goals together, to address evolving security challenges in an ever more integrated manner.”

More specific measures in regard to “ongoing efforts by China to undermine the rules-based order present political, economic, military, and technological challenges to the region and the world,” include the United States’ reaffirmation that the US military stands behind Japan and will act bilaterally to defend against any Chinese efforts to break international maritime law in the East China Sea and other controversial areas in the region.

The two nations further agreed to increase military information and data-sharing capabilities between the US and Japan, and Japan acknowledged its important role in keeping peace in the area, agreeing to “fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities to bolster its national defense.”

In solidarity, the United States “restated its unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear.”