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Anonymous ID: fd5ffe April 19, 2019, 8:52 p.m. No.6248467   🗄️.is đź”—kun

Japan and U.S. say security treaty could cover cyberattacks

 

WASHINGTON - The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States confirmed on Friday for the first time that Article 5 of the two countries’ security treaty, which sets out Washington’s obligations to defend territories under Japanese jurisdiction, could apply to cyberattacks against Japan.

 

This was clarified in a joint statement adopted at so-called two-plus-two security talks held among the ministers in Washington the same day.

 

The officials affirmed that “a cyberattack could, in certain circumstances, constitute an armed attack for the purpose of Article 5” of the security treaty, the statement said, adding that a decision as to whether a cyberattack would be covered by the article will be made “on a case-by-case basis, and through close consultations” between the two countries.

 

While refraining from citing specific countries, the statement implicitly expressed concerns over rapid technological progress made by China and Russia in the new fields.

 

“Malicious cyber activity presents an increasing threat to the security and prosperity of both the United States and Japan,” it said.

 

Japan-U.S. collaboration in cross-domain operations involving the conventional air, ground and maritime defense fields, and the new domains is one of the “core objectives” to advance the two nations’ defense relationship, the statement added.

 

It also said the officials highlighted space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum as priority areas to better prepare the Japan-U.S. alliance for cross-domain operations.

 

Friday’s two-plus-two meeting was the first since August 2017. From Japan, Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya took part, while the U.S. side was made up of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

 

At a joint news conference after the meeting, Pompeo criticized China, which has been boosting activities in cyberspace and other fields.

 

Pompeo said that he and Shanahan shared their concerns with Japan that “geopolitical competition and coercive attempts to undermine international rules, norms and institutions — specially from China — present challenges to the alliance and to continued peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”

 

Kono said that Japan and the United States will further strengthen their alliance by enhancing bilateral cooperation, including in the new fields.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/20/national/politics-diplomacy/first-japan-u-s-say-security-treaty-cover-cyberattacks/