On a Friday in Tokyo, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines sat together for the first time, a small but deliberate gathering in a region where old rivalries and new anxieties have been quietly rearranging the map. They left with a shared resolve to deepen their defense ties, a commitment that reflects how nations, feeling the world draw closer and its troubles reach them sooner, tend to seek one another's company when the waters grow uncertain. Whether this new arrangement becomes a lasting pillar of stability or a signal that the region is hardening i
U.S., Japan and Philippines Agree to Deepen Security Ties Amid China and North Korea Tensions
The agenda is expanding because, in a way, the world is shrinking.
Mark
Why does a first meeting between three security advisers matter?
Mimi
Because it adds a third formal channel to the U.S. network in the region. Sullivan listed Japan and South Korea, and the Quad, as the others.
Luke
Worth noting what was actually agreed: strengthened cooperation, talk of joint naval exercises, and disaster relief work. No exercises were announced, only discussed.
Mark
The Taiwan Strait is named in the joint statement. Is that significant?
Mimi
It's where the statement gets specific about maintaining peace and stability. The South China Sea disputes are described in the background, but the advisers' own wording points to Taiwan.
Luke
Right, and the report doesn't say what any of them would do in a Taiwan crisis. Naming a place isn't a commitment.
Mark
How does Japan's new strategy fit in?
Mimi
Japan aims to double defense spending to 43 trillion yen over five years and now offers security assistance to other militaries. The Philippines is a major candidate.
Luke
Candidate, and likely equipment. Nothing is confirmed as delivered. And the visiting-forces pact with Manila is described only as a step it's seen leading toward.
Mark
What should we watch next?
Mimi
The advisers' next meeting in the coming months, plus Blinken's China trip on Sunday.
Luke
And Sullivan himself said not to expect a breakthrough there.
Il Polso
- Three national security advisers convened a first-ever trilateral meeting in Tokyo, signaling that tensions in the Indo-Pacific have moved past ordinary diplomacy.
- The South China Sea remains a crowded field of overlapping claims, with China, the Philippines, Vietnam and others locked in standoffs over disputed waters.
- Japan is stepping out of its long self-defense posture, doubling its defense budget and preparing to supply radar, patrol boats and port upgrades to partners.
- The advisers are navigating toward joint naval drills and shared disaster relief, with plans to meet again and widen information sharing in the months ahead.
On a Friday in Tokyo, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines sat together for the first time, a small but deliberate gathering in a region where old rivalries and new anxieties have been quietly rearranging the map. They left with a shared resolve to deepen their defense ties, a commitment that reflects how nations, feeling the world draw closer and its troubles reach them sooner, tend to seek one another's company when the waters grow uncertain. Whether this new arrangement becomes a lasting pillar of stability or a signal that the region is hardening into blocs remains a question the coming months will begin to answer.
On Friday in Tokyo, three men sat down for something that had never happened before. Jake Sullivan, the American national security adviser, met with Takeo Akiba of Japan and Eduardo Ano of the Philippines, and by the end of the day they had agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation. It was a modest room with weighty purpose.
Sullivan described the gathering as one piece of a wider effort, a way for Washington and its partners to steady their alliances against rising tensions over North Korea, China and Ukraine. The three spoke of a turbulent regional environment and of how to keep the waters open and the economies secure. Their joint statement stressed closer cooperation and singled out the Taiwan Strait as a matter of concern. Sullivan called the new framework path-breaking, placing it alongside other American partnerships in the region, and he argued that the agenda keeps growing because the world is shrinking and everyone's problems now reach everyone else's shores.
Behind the talks ran a longer story. Japan has been changing its posture: its new security strategy aims to double defense spending over five years and to build the capacity to strike, a sharp break from its postwar commitment to self-defense alone. Tokyo has also begun offering security assistance to developing nations, and the Philippines stands out as a likely recipient. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Kishida and President Marcos had pledged large sums in aid and agreed to cooperate on disaster relief, a step toward letting their forces train on each other's soil.
The South China Sea lies beneath all of it, a place where several nations press competing claims. The advisers agreed to explore joint naval exercises and cooperation on humanitarian missions. They will meet again in the coming months, and the region will be watching to see whether this new circle of cooperation steadies the waters or deepens the currents.
On Friday in Tokyo, three men sat down for a first: the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their inaugural joint talks. Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, was joined by Takeo Akiba of Japan and Eduardo Ano of the Philippines. By the end, they had agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation.
Sullivan framed the meeting as part of a wider effort. Washington and its partners, he said, are reinforcing their alliances to adapt to rising tensions over North Korea, China and Ukraine. The three discussed what he called a "turbulent regional security environment," and how to work together on peace and stability in areas such as freedom of navigation and economic security.
In a joint statement, the advisers stressed the importance of closer three-way cooperation, building on the existing alliances between Japan and the U.S. and between the Philippines and the U.S. Their stated aim was to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and they singled out the Taiwan Strait in particular.
Sullivan called the new trilateral framework "path-breaking." He placed it alongside other U.S. arrangements in the region, including three-way cooperation with Japan and South Korea and the Quad security dialogue with Australia, India and Japan. Different groupings, he said, may have different priorities, but the agenda is expanding because the world is shrinking, and problems everywhere are coming to touch every country in the area.
The advisers discussed opportunities for joint naval exercises in Indo-Pacific waters. They also agreed to deepen military cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The Japan-Philippines relationship has been moving in the same direction. When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Tokyo in February, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged 600 billion yen ($4.3 billion) in development aid and private investment. The two leaders also agreed to have their militaries cooperate in disaster relief in the Philippines, which is seen as a step toward a pact allowing their forces to visit and train on each other's soil.
The day before, Sullivan and Akiba had met separately with their South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yong. Sullivan said that meeting had a "profound impact" on strengthening their cooperation, following a recent improvement in Japan-South Korea ties.
Japan's own posture is changing. In December it adopted a new National Security Strategy that sets a goal of doubling defense spending to 43 trillion yen ($310 billion) over five years. The buildup includes developing a strike capability, a major break from the self-defense-only policy long observed under the country's post-World War II pacifist constitution. The strategy also began security assistance for the militaries of developing nations, mainly in the Indo-Pacific. Japan is likely to provide non-lethal equipment such as radar, antennas and small patrol boats, along with improvements to infrastructure such as ports. The Philippines is a major candidate.
The backdrop is the South China Sea, where China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei are locked in tense territorial standoffs. The United States has no claims there but says freedom of navigation and overflight, and peaceful resolution of disputes, are in its national interest.
Sullivan also looked ahead. He said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was not expected to achieve a significant breakthrough on his Sunday visit to China, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington later in the week would "mark a transformational moment" in U.S.-India relations. The three advisers themselves plan to meet again in the coming months to expand cooperation and information sharing.
Citazioni salienti
The agenda is expanding because in a way the world is shrinking, and all of the problems everywhere are coming to touch every country in this area.— Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su Toronto Star ↗
Politics & Governance