Japan, U.S. Lay Out Plans for Global Defense Partnership
Source: Bloomberg
By Isabel Reynolds and Maiko Takahashi Oct 8, 2014 11:01 AM ET
Japan is set to remove geographical limits on its defense partnership with the U.S. as the countries seek to bolster security cooperation amid China’s military assertiveness.
New guidelines on U.S.-Japan defense cooperation should emphasize the global nature of the alliance and coordination with other regional partners, according to an interim report on a review of the guidelines released yesterday by Japan’s Ministry of Defense. The report doesn’t mention “situations in areas surrounding Japan,” the scope of geographical cooperation included in the current guidelines, which were issued in 1997.
Faced with a territorial dispute with China in the East China Sea, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed through a series of measures to toughen Japan’s defense stance since taking office in 2012. He is seeking to increase the defense budget for a third year after more than a decade of cuts, and in July his cabinet reinterpreted the pacifist constitution to allow Japan to defend other countries.
“Since 1997, when the guidelines were last revised, the world has changed, the region has changed and Japan has changed,” said Daniel Russel, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. “We face serious ongoing threats.”
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-08/japan-u-s-lay-out-plans-for-global-defense-partnership.html
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