• Stoltenberg and Kishida expressed concern about the growing cooperation between China and Russia.
• Tokyo, along with its G7 partners, has imposed sanctions on Moscow.
• Stoltenberg pushed South Korea the day before in Seoul to provide military help for Ukraine.

TOKYO – Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, said Tuesday in Tokyo that Japan and NATO must “stay unified and firm” in the face of security threats posed by China, North Korea, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg, secretary general of the European and North American military alliance, cautioned that Beijing was keeping a close eye on developments in Ukraine and “learning lessons that may affect its future decisions”.

He spoke with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during talks as part of Stoltenberg’s journey to Asia to strengthen connections with democratic allies.

“What is happening in Europe today could happen in East Asia tomorrow. So we must remain united and firm, standing together for freedom and democracy,” he said.

Stoltenberg and Kishida expressed concern about the growing cooperation between China and Russia.

“We highlight with concern Russia’s growing military cooperation with China, including through joint operations and drills in the vicinity of Japan,” they said in a joint statement.

Stoltenberg had pushed South Korea the day before in Seoul to provide military help for Ukraine, which was invaded by its neighbor Russia about a year ago.

On Tuesday, though, he commended Japan’s “firm position” and “significant support” for Ukraine.

Tokyo, along with its G7 partners, has imposed sanctions on Moscow and taken the unusual step of providing defense weaponry and offering asylum to individuals fleeing the crisis.

Provocative behavior

Stoltenberg and Kishida both expressed alarm about North Korea’s “provocative behavior,” which ranged from nuclear testing to ballistic missile tests.

Stoltenberg had pushed South Korea the day before in Seoul to provide military help for Ukraine, which was invaded by its neighbor Russia about a year ago.

He stated that China was “not our adversary,” but he warned of China’s rising military presence in Asia, “including nuclear weapons, bullying neighbors, and threatening Taiwan,” as well as disseminating misinformation about NATO and Ukraine.

As part of efforts to strengthen ties, Kishida stated that Japan would establish an independent representative office for its contacts with NATO.

Kishida also stated that Japan will consider regular participation in the alliance’s high-level meetings.

In December, Japan announced the most significant changes to its defense and security strategy in decades.

The new strategy includes plans to raise defense spending to two percent of GDP by fiscal 2027, bringing Japan in line with NATO member guidelines.

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