Japan claims China, DPRK 'challenges', extends US presence
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Arguing that tensions were rising in the region, Japan and the US extend Washington's presence in the region for at least 5 more years.
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Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta addresses US and Japanese forces (Reuters)
Arguing there were "challenges" with China and North Korea, Japan expanded support to US troops on Friday as Tokyo and Washington held top-level talks in light of regional tensions.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken said the two nations were signing a five-year extension of the support package provided by Japan for the hosting of some 50,000 US troops on Japanese soil. Under the package, Tokyo pays for the costs of US forces in the country, as well as utilities.
According to Blinken, the new agreement will "invest greater resources to deepen our military readiness and interoperability."
"Our allies must not only strengthen the tools we have but also develop new ones," he asserted at the opening of US-Japanese talks involving the ministers of defense and foreign affairs.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed Washington and Tokyo were "evolving our roles and missions to reflect Japan's growing ability to contribute to regional peace and stability."
After WWII, Japan renounced its right to wage war, and it developed an alliance with the United States. The latter is currently obliged by a treaty to defend the island nation.
The alliance with the US does not come for cheap, as the new package between the two nations will see Japan paying 211 billion yen ($1.8 billion) per fiscal year, which marks a 5% increase from the last agreement.
The US and Japan cited Chinese and North Korean threats for the deal, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying, "Beijing's provocative actions keep raising tensions across the Taiwan Strait and in the East and South China Sea."
Meanwhile, Washington's tensions with Pyongyang come in light of the latter's missile program, which saw the blockaded nation making strides on Thursday during its first hypersonic missile test in 2022.
Blinken described North Korea's missile program as "an ongoing threat".
A joint statement issued after the talks accused China of making efforts to "undermine the rules-based order" in the region, chiefly the East and South China Seas.
Western dominance in the Indo-Pacific
The United States and two of its allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, had signed a deal in September, as per which Washington and London would aid Canberra on acquiring nuclear submarine technology.
The deal was dubbed AUKUS, and it came in a bid to increase western presence in the Indo-Pacific region, or as parties said, to "boost nuclear capabilities and strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
China saw the alliance as a thinly veiled attempt at undermining its regional presence. The Chinese embassy in the United States commented on the deal, calling on the three nations to "shake off their cold war mentality and ideological prejudice."
Beijing also condemned the alliance, saying it was an "extremely irresponsible" threat to regional stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the agreement "seriously undermines regional peace and stability and intensifies the arms race."
COVID-19 forces
Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi raised the issue of COVID-19 in US bases in Japan, which Tokyo sees have had adverse effects on the areas surrounding the bases all over the country.
Japan sees that COVID-19 clusters in US bases have spilled over into local communities, increasing the number of viral infections in the island nation.
Tokyo will be approving Friday new restriction in three regions that host US bases. Hayashi said he had urged Washington to strengthen its anti-infection measures, "Including efforts like introducing limits on off-base outings."
Beijing on Thursday accused Washington of contributing to the spread of COVID-19 through its military bases in different countries, considering it a hub for the pandemic due to a large number of infections among its members, and the Japanese demands validate the Chinese accusations.
