On Dec. 26, the U.S. and Japanese governments issued a joint statement announcing that they had formulated “Guidelines for Extended Deterrence.” The opening sentence of the brief, three-paragraph statement has a warlike tone, asserting that the U.S.-Japan alliance “faces an increasingly severe strategic and nuclear threat environment.” Therefore, the two governments “are committed to reinforcing extended deterrence in order to promote regional stability and deter the outbreak of conflict,” and the Guidelines “also address strategic messaging to maximize deterrence and enhance measures for U.S. extended deterrence, bolstered by Japan’s defense capabilities.”
If the U.S. really wanted to issue “strategic messaging” that would protect Japan, it should issue a long-overdue apology for having dropped nuclear bombs on two Japanese cities in 1945, and make a commitment to never again take such an action against Japan, or any other country. But that is not what the document says.
The U.S. “extends deterrence”—including its nuclear umbrella—over 30 U.S. “allies and partners,” according to an August 8, 2024 U.S. Congressional Research Service report. Japan and the U.S. have carried out an “Extended Deterrence Dialogue” (EDD) since 2010, but this is the first time that guidelines for activating U.S. “deterrence” were drawn up jointly by the two nations, Japan’s Jiji Press reported. According to the State Department, the decision to “enhance” U.S. “deterrence” for Japan was taken at the April 10 Japan-U.S. Summit between President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida.
