By: Annie Wang

In a news conference in Tokyo on Sunday, July 28, the United States and Japan announced that they would take huge steps in strengthening their military alliance because of the “growing threat from China in the region.”

Japan is in a region where there are many strong countries that could be posing a threat to them. “The fact of the matter is the Japanese see that China is not their only problem — they also have North Korea and Russia on their flanks,” said retired Rear Adm. Michael Studeman, former commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. In establishing strong military ties with the U.S., Japan would be safer in protecting themselves. They could have more modernized weapons and more options in responding to threats.

Japan and the United States have taken many steps to strengthen their military ties. They are establishing a joint force headquarters that would answer to the American commander in the Indo-Pacific, according to a statement issued by the two governments’ top officials and the committee that they oversaw. They also want to collaborate on producing “air-to-air missiles and air defense interceptor missiles.”

The two countries have already agreed on what to do in their new headquarters to ensure good outcomes for both sides. “The U.S. will have a direct leadership role in planning and leading U.S. forces in both peacetime and in potential crises,” Lloyd J. Austin III, the U.S. defense secretary, said of the new headquarters at a news conference “And that will give us an opportunity to work more closely together to ensure greater peace and stability.”