• Japanese and US defense chiefs and top diplomats to meet in Tokyo on Sunday to discuss military cooperation.
• Plans to upgrade command-and-control structures for US forces in Japan are expected to be discussed.
• The upgrade aims to create a US counterpart for Japan’s unified command, set for inauguration in March.

Japanese and US defense chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday to discuss further bolstering their military cooperation. The talks will focus on upgrading the command and control of US forces and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan, amid a rising threat from China.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee, known as the “2+2” security talks. They will reaffirm their alliance following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the November presidential race.

For the first time, the ministers will hold separate talks to reaffirm the US commitment to “extended deterrence,” which includes atomic weapons. This marks a shift from Japan’s earlier reluctance to openly discuss the sensitive issue, as the country has suffered nuclear attacks. The discussions come amid growing nuclear threats from Russia and China.

The ministers are expected to discuss plans to upgrade the command-and-control structures for US forces in Japan. They aim to bring in higher-ranked officers with commanding authority, creating a US counterpart for Japan’s unified command, which is set for inauguration in March.

More than 50,000 US troops are stationed in Japan, but the commander of the US Forces Japan (USFJ), headquartered in Yokota in Tokyo’s western suburbs, lacks commanding authority. Instead, this authority comes from the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. Officials say the plan to upgrade USFJ’s command and control capability is designed to facilitate joint exercises and operations.

Ahead of the 2+2 talks, Kihara planned to meet with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik for their first bilateral defense ministerial talks in Japan in 15 years. Austin will later join them for three-way talks. Japan has been accelerating its military buildup, increasing joint operations with the US and South Korea, and working to strengthen its largely domestic defense industry.

Japan has significantly eased its arms export restrictions. In December, it accommodated a US request to ship surface-to-air PAC-3 missile interceptors, produced in Japan under an American license, to replenish US inventories depleted by support for Ukraine. The ministers are also expected to discuss increasing Japanese production of PAC-3 interceptors for export to the United States.

Japan and the US have been accelerating arms industry cooperation following an April agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Biden. They have set up working groups for missile co-production and for maintaining and repairing US Navy ships and Air Force aircraft in the region. While Japan’s role is primarily to support US weapons supply and maintain credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, Japanese officials say this cooperation will also help strengthen Japan’s defense industry.

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