Prime Minister of Japan announces change in country's defense policy against background of "historic turning point"
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the rise in geopolitical tensions has pushed the world to a "historic turning point" and is also forcing Japan to change its defense policy.
He said this on Sunday in an interview with CNN, on the eve of the summit with US President Joe Biden.
"As we are witnessing russian aggression in Ukraine, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia, we are facing a historic turning point. That is why Japan has decided to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities, and we have significantly changed Japan's security policy in these fronts," Kishida said during an interview at his private residence in Tokyo.
The Prime Minister stressed that in the face of growing security challenges, the alliance between Japan and the United States is becoming "increasingly important" and he hopes that this view will receive bipartisan support in Washington.
Kishida is said to have made this statement days before meeting with Biden on Wednesday in Washington, where he will also address a joint session of Congress and take part in the first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines.
The partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, but the defense relationship has expanded under Kishida, who has elevated Japan's role in global and regional security.
He advocates the view that security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are inextricably linked, and also advocates support for Ukraine and closely cooperates with the G7 countries in their position vis-à-vis russia.
The publication adds that these ties are close to Japan, as the russian and Chinese militaries conduct joint exercises in the region, and North Korea is now accused by the G7 countries of supplying russia with weapons for use in the war in Ukraine, raising global concerns about the emergence of an axis between these three countries that have strained relations with the United States.
Kishida said his government was monitoring the exchange of equipment between North Korea and russia, and pointed to joint military exercises between China and russia, describing such cooperation as "concerning international order and stability."
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan approved the plan to sell future fighter jets of the next generation to other countries. The decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure Japan's role in a project to develop a new fighter jet alongside Italy and Britain, but it is also part of a move to build up Japan's arms industry and strengthen its role in global affairs.
Meanwhile, the state budget of Ukraine received USD 118 million on an irrevocable basis from the government of Japan as part of the World Bank projects Strengthening the Health Care System and Preservation of Life (HEAL Ukraine) and Housing Repair to Restore People's Rights and Opportunities (HOPE).