U.S. and Japanese officials held a bilateral dialogue on extended deterrence Friday (April 30). Meanwhile, the top U.S. military general met with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Hawaii on Thursday to emphasize the United States’ commitment to “long-term peace and stability in the region” and the broader U.S. shift in focus from the Middle East to China.
A State Department spokesman said Friday that officials from the State and Defense departments held an “extended deterrence dialogue” with Japanese officials via video.
“Extended Deterrence refers to the inclusion of allies in the protection of their own deterrence.
“This dialogue provided an opportunity for our two governments to engage in in-depth discussions on regional security, alliance defense postures, nuclear and missile defense policies, and arms control issues,” the State Department’s Office of the Spokesman said in a briefing on the meeting.
Since 2010, as part of U.S.-Japan security and defense cooperation, this dialogue has provided a forum for officials from both countries to discuss ways to maintain and enhance deterrence, the briefing noted. The length of time the dialogue has lasted is a testament to the United States’ unwavering commitment to defending Japan through a variety of capabilities, including nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated the U.S. commitment to the two closest allies in Asia, including a readiness to provide deterrence backed by U.S. “full spectrum” military capabilities, during a meeting with South Korean and Japanese military officials in Hawaii on Thursday.
Although the briefing on the trilateral meeting did not explicitly mention China, statements about the importance of a “rules-based international order” and U.S. readiness to provide “extended deterrence” backed by a “full range” of military capabilities The statement that the U.S. is prepared to provide “extended deterrence” backed by a “full range” of military capabilities is clearly aimed at what the Pentagon calls China’s “pace challenge” and “near-parity rivalry.
The U.S. military has identified China as a “pacing threat” to the U.S. military in this day and age, meaning that China’s military development is so aggressive that it will affect how the U.S. sets the pace of its own military development.
In a speech to a joint session of the House and Senate on Wednesday night, President Biden made several references to China and made it a priority to compete with China and counter what he called its “unfair trade practices. I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, as we do in Europe through NATO, not to start conflicts, but to prevent them,” he said in a conversation with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
Milley, along with senior military generals from South Korea and Japan, have expressed concern about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. It was the first face-to-face meeting they have held since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic.
Frequent contacts between the United States and Japan and South Korea have been maintained since President Biden took office. Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin both visited Japan and South Korea in mid-March, the first trips by two key members of the Biden Cabinet since taking office. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited the United States two weeks ago, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the White House. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit Washington on May 21, becoming the second foreign leader to visit Washington.
Meanwhile, the United States also held a summit of the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue” in mid-March, including Japan, India and Australia. Analysts say this shows the Biden administration’s strategic consideration to put the U.S.-Japan-South Korea alliance at the core and strengthen the democratic alliance to counterbalance China so that the U.S. is in a strong position when dealing with China.
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