Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada (left), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (second left), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (second right) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (right) hold a press conference following meetings at the US Department of State in Washington, DC, on Jan 11, 2023. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
WASHINGTON – The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced stepped-up security cooperation in the face of shared worries, and Washington strongly endorsed a major military buildup Tokyo announced last month.
At the news conference after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met their Japanese counterparts in Washington, Austin announced plans to introduce a Marine Littoral Regiment in Japan, which would bring significant capabilities, including anti-ship missiles.
Blinken said that two sides had also agreed to extend the terms of their common defense treaty to cover space.
Austin is to meet Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada again on Thursday at the Pentagon; afterward there will be a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday.
Although the total number of US troops in Japan will not change, the new deployments could be the first of several announcements this year on military forces in Asia.
The anti-ship missiles will arrive in Japan under a revamped Marine Corps regiment of 2,000 troops that will focus on advanced intelligence, surveillance and transportation, US officials said
The agreement follows nearly a year of talks and comes after Japan last month announced its biggest military build-up since World War II – a dramatic departure from seven decades of pacifism.
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That five-year plan will double the country's defense spending to 2 percent of its gross domestic product and see Japan procure missiles that can strike ships or land-based targets 1,000 km away.
Asked about the Japanese reforms, Blinken said: "It's very simple, we heartily welcome the new strategies especially because there is … a remarkable convergence between our strategy and strategies and Japan's.
"We applaud the commitment to increase investment, to enhanced roles, missions and capabilities … to closer cooperation not only between the United States and Japan but as well with other allies and other partners," he said. "We already have a strong foundation that's only going to grow."
This photo taken on Aug 18, 2022 shows a general view of Yonaguni Island, Okinawa prefecture. (PHILIP FONG / AFP)
The anti-ship missiles will arrive in Japan under a revamped Marine Corps regiment of 2,000 troops that will focus on advanced intelligence, surveillance and transportation, US officials told Reuters. The move is expected to be completed by 2025.
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The officials added that a separate US Army company of about 300 soldiers and 13 vessels would be deployed by this spring to help transport US and Japanese troops and equipment, allowing for the rapid dispersal of forces.
Japan hosts 18,000 US Marines, the biggest concentration outside the US. Most of them are in bases on the main Okinawan island.
The large US military presence has fueled local resentment, with Okinawa's government asking other parts of Japan to host some of the force. In total, there are about 54,000 US troops in Japan.