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Japan and NATO agree to deepen partnership, saying rules-based order ‘at stake’
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/01/31/national/politics-diplomacy/nato-jens-stoltenberg-fumio-kishida/
Japan and NATO have agreed to further deepen their partnership, arguing Tuesday that the international community is “facing changes defining an era,” as the military alliance seeks more support for Ukraine and Tokyo looks for like-minded partners to tackle the growing military challenges posed by China and North Korea.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the free and open rules-based international order is at stake amid changes in the power balance and intensifying geopolitical competition.
“The world is at a historical inflection point in the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II,” the two leaders said, emphasizing the need to strengthen cooperation as the security of Europe, the United States and Asia is “closely connected.”
The two sides said they welcomed progress toward Japan transitioning into NATO’s new Individually Tailored Partnership Program, which is expected to elevate bilateral cooperation “to new heights that reflect the challenges of a new era.”
Plans to upgrade the relationship were first broached last June, when Kishida became the first Japanese leader to attend a NATO summit. The ITPP provides an updated framework that is individually tailored to each partner’s objectives for its relationship with the alliance.
During their meeting, Kishida and Stoltenberg also reaffirmed the importance of cooperating in domains such as cyberspace, outer space, disinformation and strategic communications, countering hybrid challenges and critical and emerging technologies.
Stoltenberg, who visited Iruma Air Base before meeting Kishida, also welcomed Japan’s intention to participate in the North Atlantic Council and the NATO Chiefs of Defense meetings on a regular basis.
“We are convinced that the Japan-NATO cooperation will demonstrate its value under this severe and complex security environment,” the two leaders said in the statement.
The two sides also noted Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which they said has not only shaken the rules-based international order but also “gravely altered” the global security environment, particularly as the balance of power shifts rapidly in the Indo-Pacific.
In this context, they expressed concerns about growing Sino-Russian military cooperation, including joint operations and drills in the vicinity of Japan, and reiterated their opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea.”
They also criticized reports of militarisation, coercion and intimidation in the South China Sea, and urged China, which NATO has designated a “systemic challenge,” to improve transparency and cooperate with international arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation efforts.
On Taiwan, the two leaders described the need for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as “an indispensable element in security and prosperity” of the international community. They also reiterated their condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, urging Pyongyang to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Before traveling to Tokyo, Stoltenberg had visited South Korea where he urged allies and partners, including Seoul, to provide more assistance to Ukraine to help bring Russia to the negotiation table.
Just like South Korea, Japan has provided nonlethal aid to Ukraine in the form of drones, bulletproof vests, helmets, tents and medical supplies, but has not delivered weapons due to defense guidelines that effectively ban weapons exports.
Speaking on the issue of military support for Kyiv, Stoltenberg noted in Seoul that while the decision was South Korea’s, “several NATO allies, who had as a policy never to export weapons to countries in conflict have changed that policy now.”
Stoltenberg’s visits to Seoul and Tokyo have been viewed with concern in Beijing and Pyongyang. China’s Foreign Ministry criticized NATO for what it said was repeatedly going beyond its traditional regional area of defense by strengthening military and security ties with Asia-Pacific countries.
“Such developments call for high vigilance among regional countries,” a ministry spokesperson said. “NATO needs to abandon the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation mindset, and do things that will contribute to the security and stability of Europe and the wider world.”
Pyongyang echoed earlier claims by its ally, Beijing, with state-run media claiming that the trips “instigate the creation of an Asian NATO,” warning that the visits were “a prelude to confrontation and war” as the body brings “the dark clouds of a new Cold War to the Asia-Pacific region.”