Japan, US, and the Philippines On the Verge of Largest Military Alliance Since 1960

First-ever trilateral summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines
“Historic shift in Japan’s security policy, seeking bipartisan support in the US”
“High-level approach for a meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is pushing for an upgrade in the US-Japan military alliance and a summit with North Korea. There is speculation of Kishida’s effort to seek a turnaround through diplomatic efforts as, despite numerous efforts, his approval rating remains low between 10 and 20 percent due to the ruling party secret funds scandal.

Prime Minister Kishida emphasized the military alliance with the US in an interview with CNN at his Tokyo residence on the 7th, before his US visit.

Prime Minister Kishida, who is visiting the US from the 8th to the 14th, will meet with President Biden at the White House on the 10th. At this meeting, the two countries are expected to upgrade their military alliance to the largest extent since 1960. Also, a historic trilateral summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines is scheduled for the 11th.

Prime Minister Kishida said, “As we watch Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and unstable conditions in East Asia, we are at a historic turning point. This is precisely why Japan has decided to fundamentally enhance its defense capabilities and significantly change its security policy.”

Since taking office in 2021, Kishida has significantly strengthened Japan’s defense capabilities. He has moved away from the principles of the post-World War II pacifist constitution imposed by the US, which allows for the exercise of defense forces only in the event of an attack. He plans to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027.

He expressed hope for bipartisan support in the US, stating, “In the face of escalating security issues, the alliance between Japan and the US is becoming more important than ever.”

Diplomatic sources predict that the possibility of Japan joining the AUKUS, a security alliance between the US, UK, and Australia, could be discussed during his US visit. There may also be a proposal to upgrade the command of US forces in Japan from a three-star to a four-star general to strengthen operational control.

CNN interpreted holding the US-Japan-Philippines summit less than a year after the US-South Korea-Japan summit as demonstrating the need to strengthen cooperation with Japan and other allies and partners in the US’s Indo-Pacific security strategy amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

Prime Minister Kishida mentioned, “Around Japan, there is a country developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, countries ambiguously increasing their defense capabilities, and unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in both the East China Sea and the South China Sea.” CNN explained this as an apparent reference to China’s maritime aggression against Japan and the Philippines.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Kishida revealed that he is also working towards a summit with North Korean Kim Jong Un. He said, “The Japanese government is making a high-level approach to arrange a meeting with Kim to resolve unresolved issues and promote stable relations between the two countries.” Unresolved issues are supposedly mean issues such as the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea and North Korea’s illegal nuclear and missile development.