Following their meeting at the White House today, President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio issued a bellicose joint statement, proclaiming undying devotion to the rules-based international order and defying anyone to challenge it—but claim that China is already doing that. In statements made prior to their private meeting, Biden went out of his way to assert “let me be crystal clear. The United States is fully, thoroughly, completely committed to the alliance and more importantly to Japan’s defense—the defense of Japan.” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/13/joint-statement-of-the-united-states-and-japan/ )
Kishida chimed in that Japan and the U.S. are facing “the most challenging and complex security environment in recent history,” which required Japan to formulate a new national defense strategy and vastly increase its defense budget. This new defense strategy is required, their joint statement explains, because of “growing challenges from actions inconsistent with the rules based order by China” and, of course, by North Korea.
This is the context in which Biden offered the U.S.’s “unwavering” commitment to Japan’s defense under Article V of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, “using its full range of capabilities including nuclear” (emphasis added). Article VI also applies to the Senkaku Islands (which in China are known as the Diaoyu Dao, seized by Japan in 1895). Japan, he said, has shown “bold leadership” in adopting a new National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program.
The statement refers to some of the agreements and commitments made in the “2+2” meetings of defense and foreign ministers two days ago, adding condemnation of Russia and commitment to continue imposing sanctions on Russia while providing “unwavering” support for Ukraine.
