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
A vehicle exploded in Washington, DC, the United States.
The Israeli occupation forces are carrying out extensive air raids on eastern and northeastern Gaza.
Israeli media: One Israeli soldier killed in a "security incident" in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Israeli media: Intense exchange of fire in Khan Younis
Israeli media platform reports on a tough incident in Gaza still under media censorship
Iran's judiciary says 71 killed in Israeli strike on Evin Prison
Trump: Make the deal, get the hostages back
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 67 Palestinians were martyred in 24 hours in the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip
Israeli media: For the first time, Prime Minister Netanyahu is signaling that he wants to end the war on Gaza
Israeli Channel 12, citing an American source: We want to have entered a path toward captive release and a ceasefire before Netanyahu arrives in Washington

US vows to defend space with Japan, deploy mobile Marines

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 12 Jan 2023 12:01
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Tokyo and Washington vow to modernize their alliance in order to address the "increasingly severe security environment."

  • x
  • The American and Japanese flags
    The American and Japanese flags fly outside the White House in Washington April 27, 2015. (Reuters)

The United States said Wednesday that attacks in space would invoke its defense treaty with Japan and announced the deployment of a more agile Marine unit on its ally's soil.

Weeks after unveiling plans to ramp up security spending, Japan sent its defense and foreign ministers to Washington where the two sides issued a statement vowing to "modernize the alliance in order to address the increasingly severe security environment."

The talks come two days before a visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Washington. Kishida is on a tour of G7 allies for security-focused talks, culminating in a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Friday.

The United States and Japan warned in their statement that "attacks to, from or within space present a clear challenge to the security of the alliance" that could invoke Article Five of their mutual defense treaty, which considers an attack on one an attack on both.

The talks finalized a plan by the United States to send a so-called Marine Littoral Regiment, a more agile unit that can operate defenses both by sea and air, to Okinawa, the southern Japanese island strategically close to Taiwan.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the unit would be in place by 2025 from a reorganization of an existing artillery regiment.

"I think this is going to contribute in a major way in our effort to help defend Japan and also promote a free and open Indo-Pacific," Austin said, reiterating the US commitment to defend Japan including over islets contested by China.

UK, Japan sign major defense deal allowing troop deployments

Related News

'Israel' failed to topple Iran, lost 12-day war, Larijani says

'Israel' faces over 41,000 damage claims after Iran war

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida signed what Downing Street called a "hugely significant" new defense deal allowing UK troops to deploy in Japan.

Sunak and Kishida signed the agreement at the Tower of London, with the UK leader telling his guest "the relationship between our two countries is stronger than ever, not just across trade and security but also our values."

The deal creates a legal basis for the deployment of British and Japanese troops on each others' territory for training and other operations.

Sunak's office called it "the most significant defense agreement between the two countries in more than a century."

"This Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant for both our nations -- it cements our commitment to the Indo-Pacific and underlines our joint efforts to bolster economic security," the UK Prime Minister said.

Negotiations on the deal began in 2021. Japan signed a similar accord with Australia last January.

It is noteworthy that Japan has a pacifist post-war constitution, which limits its military capacity to ostensibly defensive measures. But last month, the Japanese government approved plans to hike defense spending to two percent of GDP by 2027, up from the traditional one percent level, and claimed that China poses the "greatest strategic challenge ever" to its security.

In Paris, Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged deeper ties, with the latter promising to maintain "joint actions in the Pacific" and France's "unfailing support" against North Korea's alleged "violation of international law." 

Japan holds the G7 presidency this year and Kishida has vowed the group will maintain support for Ukraine, which is thought to have been on the agenda in his talks with Sunak.

Read more: Following official Japanese visit to Taiwan, China protests

  • United States
  • Japan
  • Washington
  • US
  • Fumio Kishida
  • Tokyo

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
The site of a direct missile strike launched from Iran in Tel Aviv on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Op. True Promise 3, wave 21: Multi-warhead missiles rain on 'Israel'

  • Politics
  • 23 Jun 2025
Iran says targeted US Qatar air base under Op. Annunciation of Victory

Iran says targeted US Qatar air base under Op. Annunciation of Victory

  • MENA
  • 23 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli media: Iran struck sensitive bases; only a fraction revealed
Politics

Only a fraction of Iranian missiles impact revealed: Israeli media

Pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney ends in crackdown, serious injury
Politics

Pro-Palestine Sydney protest ends in violent crackdown, serious injury

Israeli soldiers
Palestine

IOF soldiers blame army for negligence after deadly Khan Younis ambush

Corsican Assembly recognizes Palestine, condemns Israeli genocide
Politics

Corsican Assembly recognizes Palestine, condemns Israeli genocide

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