Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is looking to strengthen military and weapons development cooperation with the United States and other like-minded countries such as the Philippines. He emphasized the importance of defense industry cooperation during an interview with foreign media, expressing his desire to improve deterrence and response capabilities within the Japan-U.S. alliance. Kishida’s upcoming trip to the U.S. will include talks with President Joe Biden at the White House and a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinando Marcos Jr.
Since Japan revised its pacifist Constitution in 2015 to allow for a broader interpretation of its self-defense-only principle to cover the United States, Japanese officials hope to showcase a strong Japan-U.S. alliance during Kishida’s visit. Following a more expansive national security strategy adopted in 2022, Kishida’s government has accelerated the country’s military buildup to better address the security threat posed by China. This includes a pledge to double defense spending and enhance deterrence capabilities, which has led to closer defense ties with the U.S. and the acquisition of U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles.
During Kishida’s visit, discussions are expected to focus on establishing a unified command structure on each side to enhance interoperability and response capability. Plans to establish a new framework for weapons co-development and to allow repair and maintenance of U.S. warships in Japan to support operations in the Western Pacific are also likely to be agreed upon. The increased defense cooperation between Japan and the U.S. is seen as crucial in addressing shared concerns about China’s regional actions, particularly in relation to territorial claims in the South China Sea.
In addition to defense cooperation, space is another key area of collaboration between Japan and the United States. Kishida and Biden are expected to confirm Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program, with Japan contributing a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and an astronaut to the mission. Kishida also plans to highlight Japan’s economic contributions in the U.S. during his visit, meeting with business leaders and visiting Toyota’s electric vehicle battery factory and Honda’s business jet subsidiary.
Overall, Kishida’s visit to the U.S. aims to strengthen security cooperation with the United States, particularly in the areas of defense and space, while also emphasizing Japan’s economic contributions. The deepening of defense ties between Japan and the U.S., along with increased cooperation with other like-minded countries, underscores the importance of regional security in the face of growing challenges from China. The upcoming discussions between Kishida and Biden are expected to further solidify the Japan-U.S. alliance and lay the foundation for enhanced security cooperation in the future.
