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The Pentagon will reconstitute its top command structure in Japan from the primarily administrative U.S. Forces Japan to a wartime Joint Force Headquarters to strengthen ties with Tokyo amid the rising threat from China.
On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Japanese counterparts — Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Affairs Minister Yoko Kamikawa — announced the plan to deepen ties between the U.S. and Japanese militaries and streamline command and control operations in the region.
The new joint force headquarters will be commanded by a three-star officer and report to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The officer will be a counterpart to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Joint Operations Command, Mr. Austin said.
“We welcome a historic decision to modernize our alliance command and control to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” he said. “This will be the most significant change to U.S. Forces Japan since its creation and one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years.”
In a statement following the joint meetings, the Japanese and U.S. delegations concurred that China wants to reshape the international order for its benefit at the expense of others. They accused Beijing of employing political, economic and military coercion of other countries to achieve its objectives.
“Such behavior is a serious concern for the alliance and the entire international community and represents the greatest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” the delegates said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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