By: Olivia Ho

Japan and the U.S. have decided to have a military alliance due to the threat that China poses to both countries. The two countries decided that a new joint forces headquarters would be needed to help with collaboration. This way they can have better planning and faster execution of military operations to prevent war with China.

Not only will there be a join force headquarters, the U.S. will also be taking a more direct leadership role in the alliance. By leading, the U.S. aims to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region, counter potential threats, and deter aggressive actions by China. Having the U.S. take a leadership role will also benefit both countries because the U.S. has access to many advanced military technologies and weapons.

The two nations will increase the co-production of interceptor missiles and air-to-air defense rockets. Japan has also said that they would help with producing more Patriot interceptor missiles. These Patriot interceptor missiles are the missiles that the U.S. and other countries have been supplying to Ukraine to help stop Russia.

However, there are still going to be some difficulties. For example, because President Biden is not going to be running for president again a new President will take his place in the meetings that will be frequently held with Japanese officials. This could be a potential issue if the two leaders don’t get along well.

This alliance, will mean a lower chance of war with China and benefit not only Japan and itself but also South Korea. So, to deter the chances of war with China, the U.S. has placed troops in Japan and South Korea. The presence of the troops is hoped to deter any chance of war with China.