On October 8, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke for the first time by phone with Japan’s new defense minister, Nakatani Gen. The two countries agreed to increase their military presence around China in response to the CCP’s growing aggression.
Maj., the Pentagon’s press secretary, said: The alliance has made significant progress, Gen. Pat Ryder. Indeed, Japan has heeded U.S. calls to combat the CCP’s predatory trade practices and is emerging as a key ally in Indo-Pacific peacekeeping.
A Pentagon readout of the call states, “The two officials also reiterated the importance of deepening defense cooperation with regional partners to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
Both allies will increase their presence on Japan’s southwestern islands, where China has broken into Japanese airspace and waters in a way that Japan has never seen before. These are a long line of small islands that almost connect to Taiwan and extend into the East China Sea. The “first island chain,” which includes China, is a strategically important area. The second island chain, which includes the American territory of Guam, is in the West Pacific. In the event of a conflict, either China or the United States would have an advantage, but it currently has mixed alliances.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increased its military aggression in the Indo-Pacific over the past few years, and this year’s events, like the rare test-firing of a long-range nuclear missile and “punishment” drills around Taiwan after the democratic island held an election, highlight this trend.
Consequently, Indo-Pacific neighbors are increasing joint military drills with allies because they are concerned that the CCP will disrupt regional order.
