Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

US plans to upgrade its military command structure in Japan

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 28 Jul 2024 08:42
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The US is expected to reveal a new Joint Force Headquarters in Japan to counter "China's influence" in the region.

Listen
  • x
  • U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara exchange documents of their partnership after a Japan-US-South Korea trilateral defense meeting at Japan's defense ministry, July 28, 2024. (AP)
    US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara exchange documents of their partnership after a Japan-US-South Korea trilateral defense meeting at Japan's Defense Ministry, on July 28, 2024. (AP)

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was scheduled to announce an enhancement of the US command structure in Japan on Sunday, as Washington and Tokyo revamp military cooperation to counter China's rapid development.

The US currently has about 54,000 military personnel in Japan who report to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, which is approximately 6,500 kilometers away and 19 hours behind. However, Austin, along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was attending "2+2" talks with Japanese counterparts in Tokyo, was expected to reveal the establishment of a new Joint Force Headquarters led by a three-star commander, according to a US military official.

This new command will align with Japan's planned Joint Operations Command for all its armed forces, enhancing the agility of both militaries in the event of a crisis involving Taiwan or the Korean peninsula.

The discussions between Japan and the US were also set to explore the development of Washington's "extended deterrence" commitment, which includes using military capabilities, such as nuclear weapons, to defend Japan.

Related News

Supreme Court rejects Ghislaine Maxwell appeal in Epstein-linked case

How Trump cornered Netanyahu into Gaza ceasefire plan: FT

According to Naoko Aoki, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, Japan has been unsettled by China's military modernization, DPRK's nuclear and missile activities, and nuclear threats observed during the Ukraine war.

Speaking with AFP, Aoki stated, "[It] is important for the United States to reassure Japan of its commitment and signal to potential adversaries that the alliance remains strong and that the United States is committed to using nuclear weapons if necessary to defend Japan." 

On Monday, Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will meet with their Indian and Australian counterparts, S. Jaishankar and Penny Wong, as part of the Quad alliance, which is viewed as a counterbalance to "China's influence".

Nuclear weapons included in methods US will vow to use to defend Japan

This comes after a bilateral meeting between both nations decided to draft their first joint document on expanded deterrence policy, which will include a clause affirming the United States' commitment to defend Japan by various means, including nuclear weapons, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing sources.

The document, as per the newspaper, will outline both nations' positions on implementing deterrence policy and will specify the US determination to enhance regional deterrence for Japan, detailing the measures Washington can employ in both peacetime and potential emergencies.
 
The document will also detail the scenarios under which the United States can retaliate against third countries on behalf of Japan and outline potential responses, according to the newspaper.

In 2010, the Japanese and US governments created the Extended Deterrence Dialogue to explore methods for maintaining and enhancing extended deterrence. They began to hold regular consultations on this matter, involving officials responsible for foreign policy and defense affairs.

  • United States
  • Japan
  • Taiwan
  • Lloyd Austin
  • China

Most Read

Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP)

Hamas reviews Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan as PIJ rejects

  • Palestine
  • 30 Sep 2025
Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
French far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, listens to France Unbowed party parliament member Mathilde Panot during a demonstration after a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was illegally raided by the IOF, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 in Paris (AP)
Politics

French MPs on hunger strike after their detainment in 'Israel'

Gaza residents fear trap as Trump’s plan offers little relief
Politics

Flying promises and bombs: Gazans hopeful, yet deeply distrustful

Two years of destruction: Gaza endures war, famine, and displacement
Politics

UNRWA details Gaza's two years under war, famine, and displacement

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, visits a military hardware exhibition in Pyongyang, Notrh Korea Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 (AP)
Politics

DPRK's Kim unveils new advanced weapons at 'Defiance Development 2025'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS