Defense & Security

U.S. welcomes Japan’s revision of 3 key national security documents

AP
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Major Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, Del., on Dec. 16.

Jiji Press

20:55 JST, December 17, 2022

WASHINGTON (Jiji Press) — The United States has welcomed the Japanese government’s revision of three key national security documents to drastically increase its defense spending and allow for counterstrike capabilities.

“We welcome Japan’s contributions to peace and prosperity,” U.S. President Joe Biden said on Twitter.

“Japan has taken a bold and historic step to strengthen and defend the free and open Indo-Pacific” through the revision made Friday, said a statement by U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Meanwhile, a U.S. government official expects that the revision will make the two nations’ deterrence against China stronger at a time when U.S. forces are losing superiority in East Asia amid China’s rapid military buildup.

Japan’s obtaining of the capability to strike missile launch sites that threaten the country will complicate China’s and North Korea’s calculations, making it easier to stop them from wanting to take a military action, the official said.