New U.S. Security Strategy Calls for Japan to Increase Defense Spending

Washington/Tokyo, Dec. 5 (Jiji Press)–The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has released a new national security strategy that calls for Japan to increase its defense spending to defend the chain of islands between southwestern Japan and the Philippines. “We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain,” the new strategy says, apparently referring to China’s maritime activities. Noting that the United States alone cannot realize such military capabilities, the strategy urges the United States’ allies and friendly nations to increase their defense budgets and expand access for the U.S. military to facilities such as ports. It indicates plans to demand that Japan and South Korea expand defense spending, including to acquire new defense capabilities. Asked about the U.S. strategy at a press conference on Friday, Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that the Japanese government is examining its content in detail. “Japan has already started strengthening its defense capabilities proactively,” Motegi stressed. “We were not told to do this. It is our response to the most complicated and harsh security environment since World War II.” “Japan would like to maintain close cooperation with the United States and continue to enhance deterrence and response capabilities,” he added. The U.S. strategy positions preventing conflicts around Taiwan as “a priority” and advancing peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war as “a core interest of the United States.” This is the second such strategy under Trump, following the first one drawn up in 2017, during his first term. While the previous version regarded China as a strategic competitor, the new version uses softer language. The new version strongly reflects Trump’s “America first” policies, putting importance on the Western Hemisphere and emphasizing policies to prioritize the United States. In an apparent reference to a Taiwan contingency, the strategy says, “A favorable conventional military balance remains an essential component of strategic competition.” It emphasizes the importance of deterring such contingencies by maintaining the military superiority of the United States. The strategy states that “the United States does not support any unilateral change to the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, suggesting that the current administration will adhere to the policy upheld by past administrations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]