US, Japan criticize China for ‘destabilizing’ region

The United States and Japan launched sharp verbal attacks on China and Russia on Sunday, following high-level talks on strengthening defense ties between Tokyo and Washington amid growing instability in the region.

A joint statement after the “2+2” talks involving US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts stressed that China’s “foreign policy is aimed at reshaping the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others.”

The statement stressed strong opposition to the People’s Republic of China’s “unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed areas, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea.”

“China’s destabilizing actions in this region include unsafe confrontations at sea and in the air, attempts to disrupt the exploitation of offshore resources by other countries, as well as the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels,” the report said.

The joint statement also noted concerns about China’s “continued and rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal, which continues without any transparency about its intentions and which the People’s Republic of China refuses to acknowledge despite publicly available evidence.”

Attention was also drawn to Russia, with the statement noting “Russia’s growing and provocative strategic military cooperation with the People’s Republic of China, including through joint operations and exercises in the vicinity of Japan, and the People’s Republic of China’s support for the Russian defense industrial base.”

54,000 troops

The document condemned “the deepening of cooperation between Russia and North Korea, exemplified by Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles and other war materiel from North Korea, in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions, for use against Ukraine.”

The statement, released after talks between Blinken and Austin with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, confirmed plans to establish a new joint forces headquarters in Japan, led by a three-star U.S. commander, for the 54,000 troops stationed there.

This headquarters will serve as a counterpart to Japan’s planned Joint Operations Command, increasing military response speed in the event of a crisis over Taiwan or the Korean Peninsula.

Currently, U.S. troops in Japan report to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, which is 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles) away and 19 hours behind.

The statement described the US-Japan alliance as “the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”

Japan has gradually abandoned its strict pacifist stance, increased defense spending and acquired “counterstrike” capabilities. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a “new era” of cooperation at a White House summit in April.

Japan and the Philippines recently signed a defense treaty that allows the deployment of troops on each other’s territory. This is the result of the first trilateral summit between the leaders of Japan, the Philippines and the United States in Washington.

Japan and South Korea, like the Philippines, are in the process of rebuilding post-World War II ties. Biden hosted leaders of both countries at Camp David last August.

Trilateral talks

Before the Japan-US “2+2” meeting, Austin and Kihara held trilateral talks with Shin Won-sik, the first South Korean defense minister to visit Japan in 15 years. They signed a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen ties, including information exchange and trilateral exercises.

“The trilateral cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea has become stronger and unshakable even under various changes in the international situation,” Kihara told reporters.

The talks also focused on strengthening Washington’s “extended deterrence” commitment to use its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to protect Japan.

China’s military modernization, North Korea’s nuclear and missile developments and nuclear threats in the war in Ukraine have made Japan uneasy, said Naoko Aoki, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation. “It is important for the United States to reassure Japan of its commitment and to let potential adversaries know that the alliance remains strong and that the United States is committed to using nuclear weapons to defend Japan if necessary,” she said.

On Monday, Blinken and Kamikawa S. Jaishankar and Penny Wong, their Indian and Australian counterparts in the Quad, an alliance seen as a counterweight to China.

The territorial dispute between China and the Philippines is taking place in the South China Sea, specifically the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, demarcated by the “nine-dash line,” a demarcation rejected by international law.

The Philippines, on the other hand, claims sovereignty over areas within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Tensions have risen over China’s construction of artificial islands and military installations in the disputed waters.

Ruling 2016

These actions have been condemned by the international community, including the United States and Japan, as they destabilize regional security and violate international norms.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims under the nine-dash line invalid. However, China has ignored the ruling and continued its activities in the region.

The dispute has significant economic implications, as the South China Sea is rich in resources, including fisheries, oil and natural gas, and is a vital maritime route through which a significant portion of global trade passes.