US-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministers: "North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation Undermines International Non-Proliferation Regime"

First Bilateral 2+2 Meeting in Tokyo in 1.5 Years
"Concerns Over China's Attempt at 'Changing Status Quo by Force'"

The governments of the United States and Japan expressed deep concern over the recent strengthening of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, stating that it "undermines the international non-proliferation regime" and raised the possibility that Russia may transfer technology related to weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles to North Korea.

The scene of the US-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting held in Tokyo, Japan on the 28th [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to Kyodo News on the 28th, the two countries held a foreign and defense ministers (2+2) meeting in Tokyo and released a joint document containing these details. The meeting was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara.

The U.S.-Japan foreign and defense ministers meeting was held for the first time in about a year and a half since it was last convened in the United States in January of last year.

The ministers expressed serious concern not only about North Korea and Russia but also about China, stating that China "seeks to change the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others" and condemned China's unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force.

In the joint document, the U.S. and Japan emphasized that strengthening extended deterrence, which protects Japan with U.S. nuclear forces, is critically important and stated that they will deepen strategic-level discussions. They also announced plans to reorganize U.S. Forces Japan into a "unified command" to enhance command and control linkage between U.S. forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed at their summit held in the United States in April to upgrade the command and control system between U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces to enhance interoperability in both peacetime and contingencies.

The U.S. and Japan also stated in the joint document that they will seek joint production opportunities to expand the production capacity of the medium-range air-to-air missile AMRAAM and the surface-to-air missile Patriot (PAC3).