Russia Strongly Protests Japan's Planned Military Exercises near the Russian Border

Source: Xinhuanet

Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, June 28 (Reporter Chen Ting) The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on the 28th that Russia strongly protested to the Japanese Embassy in Russia about Japan's plan to conduct joint military exercises with Germany and Spain near the Russian border.

Russia strongly protests Japan's planned military exercises near the Russian border. The picture shows the Russian Japanese flag

The news said that Japan planned to hold a series of joint military exercises with Germany and Spain in Hokkaido, near the Russian border, from July 19 to 25. The Russian side strongly protested against this. Russia will never allow Japan to cooperate with NATO member countries outside the region to carry out provocative military activities near the border of Russia's Far East region, as a potential threat to Russia's security.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the irresponsible policy of the Japanese Prime Minister, Takeo Kishida, caused the escalation of tensions in Northeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region, and put Japan on a dangerous path. Russia will take full countermeasures to strengthen its defense capabilities and protect its sovereignty.

Extended Reading

European countries frequently send warships to Japan for training, aiming to speed up the "NATO" of the Asia Pacific region

Hot News: It is reported that the recent joint training between European national armies and the Japanese Self Defense Forces around Japan is on the increase. The Ministry of Defense of Japan said that since the beginning of this year, at least 14 countries have conducted bilateral exercises and training with the Japan Maritime and Air Self Defense Forces, nearly doubling the number compared with the same period in 2023. Among them, the number of exercises and trainings held around Japan is close to 30.

comment: In recent years, the security situation in the Asia Pacific region has become increasingly complex. European countries have gradually turned their eyes to the Asia Pacific region, sending ships and military aircraft to the region in succession, and frequently carrying out various forms of military interaction. As an important ally of the United States in the Asia Pacific region, Japan has become an important target for European countries to carry out military cooperation in the region. The strengthening of military interaction and cooperation between European countries and Japan is not only consistent with the strategic deployment of the United States in the Asia Pacific region, but also has the intention to achieve their own development and strategic goals, which not only seriously threatens the peace and stability of the Asia Pacific region, but also has a great impact on the international security pattern.

Japanese warships hold joint exercises with French patrol ships

NATO increases military involvement in the Asia Pacific region

European countries frequently send military forces to the Asia Pacific region, which is closely related to NATO's increasing attention to the Asia Pacific region in recent years. NATO is an important collective security organization in the European region. In recent years, it has been constantly involved in Asia Pacific affairs, showing a trend of "small steps and fast running". In December 2020, NATO released the strategic initiative of NATO 2030: Uniting for a New Era, proposing to further strengthen security cooperation with Asia Pacific partner countries. In June 2022, NATO will introduce a new alliance strategy as the top-level strategic guidance document to strengthen the Asia Pacific partnership. These documents have become an important guiding basis for NATO to strengthen political and military cooperation with Asia Pacific countries.

However, NATO has also recognized that because it is geographically far away from the Asia Pacific region, it must rely on the support of Asia Pacific partner countries and follow the combination of "alliance strength+partner location" to achieve its own frontier presence. Because Japan has a special position in the Asia Pacific region and is an ally of the United States, it has become the preferred target for NATO cooperation. In May 2023, NATO held a meeting of the chiefs of defense staff, specifically inviting Japan to participate in the discussion on the new strategic concept of the alliance, the security situation in the Asia Pacific region and other issues, and intended to seek more support from frontier bases in Japan by signing relevant agreements, providing equipment assistance, personnel training, joint exercises and other means, This will not only facilitate its military presence and use of military force in the Asia Pacific region, but also improve the integration level of both sides in command and control and operational coordination.

Under the guidance of the above concepts, NATO member countries, represented by Britain, France and Germany, have frequently sent naval and air military forces to the Asia Pacific region in recent years to carry out operations with the Self Defense Forces around Japan, and constantly expand the mechanism and form of military cooperation, with the intention of creating conditions for further involvement in Asia Pacific security affairs. In particular, the defense cooperation between Germany and Japan has become increasingly hot. In March 2023, the German Defense Minister visited Japan for the first time after 16 years and discussed with the Japanese Defense Minister the deployment of German armed forces in the Asia Pacific region and the joint military exercises between the two countries. In February 2024, Germany announced that it would send two warships to the Asia Pacific region in 2024 to participate in regional joint exercises such as the "Pacific Rim", and would call at Japanese ports in August to carry out training with the Japanese Self Defense Forces. In addition to Germany, other countries have also increased their interest in strengthening the military presence in the Asia Pacific region. On June 9, the Netherlands Navy sent frigates to conduct the first exercise with the Maritime Self Defense Force frigates in the waters west of Kyushu; In addition, the Italian navy also announced that it would send light aircraft carriers to Japan in late August to participate in exercises, making the surrounding waters of Japan a "big stage" for European countries to hold joint exercises.

Italian patrol ship arrives in Japan for visit

European countries continue to increase their military involvement in the Asia Pacific region, especially the interaction and cooperation with the Japanese Self Defense Forces, which not only reflects the intersection of multi game balance inside and outside the NATO alliance, but also reflects NATO's intention to seek to shape the security order in the Asia Pacific region. Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the serious challenges facing the European security order, NATO's series of actions to strengthen its partnership with the Asia Pacific region are likely to intensify military competition in the Asia Pacific region and lead to further escalation of regional tensions.

Japan actively promotes "NATO" in the Asia Pacific region

This time, European countries frequently sent warships to Japan for joint training, which is also an important achievement of Japan's active promotion of diversified security partnership and deep participation in NATO affairs in recent years. At present, Japan is one of the nine "global partners" of NATO, and the two sides have conducted frequent high-level interactions. Since 2022, Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Kishida has participated in the NATO Summit for two consecutive years, and is expected to attend the summit in Washington this July. In April 2023, when Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fang was attending the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting, he publicly expressed his intention to deepen cooperation with NATO and invited NATO members to participate in Asia Pacific security affairs as much as possible. On June 13, 2024, Yoshida Kyushu, Chief of the United Staff of the Ministry of Defense of Japan, said at a press conference that Japan would strengthen cooperation with allies and like-minded countries to safeguard the free and open Indo Pacific region, and invited NATO to open liaison offices in Asia for cooperation with Japan South Korea and other NATO partners in the Asia Pacific region have held regular consultations.

In addition to high-level interaction and personnel exchanges, Japan is also gradually strengthening military security cooperation with NATO at the specific operational level. Since 2021, Japan has officially participated in NATO's annual "Lock Shield" cyber security exercise. In November 2022, Japan announced its formal accession to the NATO Network Defense Center. In December 2022, Japan announced the joint development of a new generation of stealth fighters with the United Kingdom and Italy. From June 12 to 23, 2023, Japan, as the only non NATO member except Sweden, participated in the NATO "Air Guard 2023" large-scale military exercise. In addition, the two sides also strengthened cooperation in computer protection, piracy response, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping through the signing of the Individual Partnership Cooperation Plan.

Recently, Japan has also decided to work with NATO to increase the proportion of defense expenditure in gross domestic product (GDP) to 2%, so as to enhance its own defense capability. At the same time, in order to support Ukraine, Japan also decided to cooperate with NATO in the fields of weapons and equipment supply, international public opinion, economic blockade and sanctions. In the context of the evolution of the normalization of regional conflicts, Japan's deep participation in NATO security affairs will further push NATO closer to the Asia Pacific region and achieve the goal of "NATO" in the Asia Pacific region.