Japan Faces Historic Turning Point in Defense Posture
Spiraling geopolitical tensions have pushed the world to a “historic turning point” and are forcing Japan to change its defense posture, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told CNN. In an interview, Kishida highlighted the impact of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the Middle East situation, and tensions in East Asia on Japan’s security. He emphasized that Japan has made a decision to reinforce its defense capabilities and has fundamentally changed its security policy in response to these challenges. Kishida stressed the increasing importance of the Japan-United States alliance and hoped for bipartisan support in Washington.
The upcoming summit between Kishida and US President Joe Biden is seen as a historic opportunity to modernize the alliance between the two countries. The leaders will discuss regional threats, including North Korea’s weapons testing and China’s aggression in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan. Kishida’s visit to the United States will also include a joint session of Congress and a trilateral summit between Japan, the United States, and the Philippines.
Shifting Defense Posture and Regional Concerns
Since taking office, Prime Minister Kishida has overseen a significant shift in Japan’s defense posture. Japan aims to increase defense spending to regarding 2% of its GDP by 2027 and acquire counterstrike capabilities. However
