Japan urges European nations to enhance military presence in Asia to tackle China

Japan defence minister Nobuo Kishi has called European nations to have a stronger military involvement in the Indo-pacific to tackle China’s influence in the region. As per news agency ANI, in his maiden speech to the European Parliament subcommittee on security and defence on June 18, Kishi urged the members to enhance its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and for both sides to “continue and expand” their security cooperation. 

"[Parties] such as Japan and the EU must tackle together ... the fight against authoritarianism...As defence minister, I highly commend the point that the EU strategy sets out [about] the strengthening of presence and action in the Indo-Pacific," Japan defence minister said in an online address.

Further in his first speech to the European Parliament subcommittee, Kishi went on to slam China for its unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion and its efforts to militarise contested parts of the South China Sea. Japan’s defence minister flagged the concerns over Beijing’s “unilateral attempts to change the status quo” in the East China Sea, especially after adopting a new controversial coastguard law in January this year.

"The justified rights of all relevant countries should never be undermined due to the coastguard law, and we can never tolerate anything that could heighten the tension on the waters such as the East China Sea and the South China Sea," he said.

Japan plans to urge EU to pressurise China

A source familiar with Japan’s policymaking reportedly said that Kishi’s remakes were part of a broader plan of the country to enlist the European Union to pressurise Beijing. The source reportedly said, “Japan hopes to use this opportunity to get more involvement from the EU in the region. HMS Queen Elizabeth's visit to Japan will put tremendous pressure on Beijing this year.”

Kishi’s speech about urging the EU against China came after Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joe Biden expressed concerns over East and South China seas and Taiwan Strait following their first in-person meet in April. After Suga-Biden’s joint statement, China slammed Tokyo and accused the country of being a “strategic vassal” of the United States. Japan and China’s bilateral relations have grown tenser with the escalation of Beijing’s activity in the disputed East China Sea. 

Japan defence minister on Friday also noted that the country would “continue to keep a close eye” on the shifting military balance across the Taiwan Strait. He said, "It goes without saying that the stabilisation of the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan's security, but it is also important for a stable international community as well."

IMAGE: AP