Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his desire to strengthen military and weapons development cooperation with the United States and other like-minded countries, including the Philippines. He plans to visit the U.S. next week to meet with President Joe Biden, with a focus on improving deterrence and response capability within the Japan-U.S. alliance. Kishida emphasized the importance of defense industry cooperation and security collaboration, highlighting the need for multi-layered networks of cooperation to expand and strengthen deterrence capability.
During his upcoming trip to the U.S., Kishida will hold talks with President Biden and participate in a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinando Marcos Jr. The visit aims to showcase a rock-solid Japan-U.S. alliance, with a particular emphasis on deepening security and defense ties and expanding arms co-development. Since adopting a more expansive national security strategy in 2022, Kishida’s government has taken steps to accelerate Japan’s military buildup and demonstrate its willingness and capability to enhance security cooperation with the United States.
One significant aspect of this cooperation is Japan’s push to acquire a “counterstrike” capability by purchasing U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and relaxing restrictions on weapons exports. Japan has also allowed overseas sales of a fighter jet co-developed with the U.K. and Italy, as well as the shipment of Japanese-made PAC-3 missiles to the United States. The two leaders are expected to discuss establishing a unified command on each side to enhance interoperability and response capability, along with a new framework for weapons co-development and the repair and maintenance of U.S. warships in Japan.
Japan and the United States are both increasing defense ties with the Philippines in response to shared concerns about China’s regional activities, particularly in the South China Sea. The leaders are expected to discuss strengthening security cooperation in this context. Space cooperation, particularly Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program and contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp., will also be on the agenda. Kishida will emphasize Japan’s economic contributions in the U.S. during his visit, meeting with business leaders and visiting key facilities to highlight the strong economic ties between the two countries.
Overall, Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to the U.S. aims to underscore the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance and deepen cooperation in key areas such as security, defense, and space. The trip comes at a time when Japan is increasing its military capabilities to address regional security challenges, particularly those posed by China. By fostering stronger ties with the United States and other like-minded countries, Japan hopes to enhance its deterrence capability and contribute to regional stability.
