As regional tension escalates, Japan’s prime minister pledges military expansion and closer relations with the US

Speaking on Saturday, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba promised to strengthen his country’s defense and its relationship with the US under President-elect Donald Trump.

At a yearly troop review at Camp Asaka in the suburbs of Tokyo, Ishiba said that rising tensions with China, Russia, and North Korea have made the security situation around Japan and the rest of the world much worse. He said he would make Japan’s defense stronger.

He stated that the incursion of Chinese and Russian warplanes into Japanese airspace early this year “not only violated Japanese sovereignty, but also threatened the safety of Japan, and are absolutely unacceptable.” He said that North Korea’s repeated missile launches and China’s rising military presence near Japan’s coasts are both becoming bigger threats.

As the security situation gets worse, Ishiba said, “I will balance and strengthen Japan’s diplomacy and security.” Hundreds of troops had gathered for the ceremony.

Ishiba stated that strengthening Japan’s ties with the U.S. and working closely with Trump is crucial to achieving this, as they agreed in a brief phone call on Thursday.

As of October 1, Ishiba took office, replacing the unpopular Fumio Kishida. However, his coalition’s governing alliance lost a recent parliamentary election, which means that his party may have trouble implementing its policies and budget plans in the coming months.

The 2022 security strategy that Ishiba’s predecessor, Fumio Kishida, put in place calls for a counter-strike capability with long-range cruise missiles, which is different from the idea of self-defense only. Ishiba promised to carry out the ongoing military buildup plan. Ishiba said that he will work to improve how Japanese and U.S. troops work together by making the leadership system stronger.

Japan’s constitution says that it should put economic recovery ahead of defense after its terrible loss in World War II. However, over the past few years, the country has steadily improved its defense capabilities.