Japan, Vietnam sign defense and cyberspace cooperation to counter China's aggression

Japan and Vietnam on Tuesday, Nov 23 signed a defence and cyberspace cooperation pact to counter China's growing assertiveness, as the two nations decided to take their “defence cooperation to a new level.” Citing the growing threat of China on the regional security across the Indo-Pacific, Japan's Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters on Tuesday that the space and cyberspace agreement is aimed to address a “strong sense of urgency” and to challenge the existing international order, PTI reported. Without naming China in specific, Kishi stressed that the deal struck with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang will seek to establish regional cooperation and peace in the wake of escalation of joint military activities by China and Russia near Japanese waters and airspace.

Japan has lodged a strong protest against the Chinese coast guard vessels that have routinely encroached the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. Just days ago, at least four Chinese PLA vessels entered Japanese territorial seas for the 37th time near what Japan recognizes as the Senkaku Islands, and China calls Diaoyu located in the East China Sea. China violates Japanese territorial waters around the islands consistently, and threatens the Japanese fishing vessels, Kishi asserted, raising the Chinese territorial threats in the disputed waters. He went on to add that fleet of at least two Chinese H-6 fighters and two Russian Tu-95 flew from the Sea of Japan to the East China Sea and to the Pacific Ocean, prompting Japan to scramble its fighter jets to intercept the foreign military planes. 

Referring to Beijing's unilateral assertive East and the South China Sea policies, Kishi stressed that “any attempts to change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tensions,” will be strongly registered by Japan. Japan is committed to protecting a “free and democratic” Indo-Pacific region and will work in cooperation with “like-minded countries that share universal values,” like the US, Kishi further warned. As the two nations step up defence and cybersecurity cooperation, Vietnam became the 11th country to sign a defence equipment and technology pact with Tokyo. Japan had also earlier participated in a NATO cyberspace exercise and has signed a defence deal with Australia, Britain, the Philippines and Indonesia, and other regional allies and partners to counter China’s expansionist agenda. 

Japan officially recognises China as 'threat' to its cybersecurity 

Japan had earlier named China, Russia, and North Korea as the countries that pose a “cyberattack threat” as it suspected their involvement in the “hostile cyber activities.” Japan released a draft Cybersecurity Strategy earlier in September that it stressed it will adopt for the next three years. The document outlined that the circumstances and geopolitical tensions in cyberspace contain the "risk of rapidly developing into a graver situation” and therefore, Tokyo highlighted the importance of transformation in its digital and cyberspace.

The strategy outlined that Tokyo will resort to "tough countermeasures using every effective means and capability available," which would include diplomatic responses and criminal prosecutions should these cybersecurity threats flare. It would be the first time that Tokyo has specifically named China, Russia, and North Korea as it backed the need for stringent measures for strengthening the nation’s defence capability in cyberspace.