White House Talks Up Japan National Security Strategy

The announcement earlier today from Japanese PM Fumio Kishida of three national security documents, the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Force Development Plan, has been warmly welcomed by the US administration, with the White House releasing a supportive statementfrom National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan this morning.

• Sullivan: "The strategy sets forth the vision of Prime Minister Kishida and the Japanese people for a broad and strong community of partners and allies in support of peace and stability in the region. Japan’s goal to significantly increase defense investments will also strengthen and modernize the U.S.-Japan Alliance."
• The tripartite plan will see Japanese defence spending rise to 2% of GDP, equivalent to the minimum target for NATO members, which in turn will see the previously pacifist nation have one of the world's largest defence budgets.
• The new strategy will see Japan build up 'counterstrike capabilities', enabling Japan to strike directly at enemy territory. This would mark the first time in 60 years that the country's military would have offensive rather than purely defensive capabilities. Comes in response to “an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge" in the Indo-Pacific according to the strategy document, seen as likely referring to the rise of China.