Referring to the joint flights of Chinese and Russian bombers near Japan in May, Hayashi said stronger military coordination between China and Russia is emerging as a security concern. “Right now we are at a historic crossroads, filled with a sense of crisis,” he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on Friday. “We are facing a critical moment. “Even in this region, the ‘logic of brute force’ is gaining more traction over the ‘rule of law’ and the strategic balance in the region is increasingly challenging for Japan and the US,” he said, referring to India. -Peaceful. Hayashi said “continued unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East and South China Seas” are of growing concern and referred to rising China-Taiwan tension saying stability in the Taiwan Strait is of “extreme importance ». While he has repeatedly highlighted threats emanating from China, Hayashi largely avoided mentioning it by name, but said it was necessary to maintain a “high-level, frank dialogue” with Beijing and that cooperation was also important with it when it is necessary, as for climate change and North Korea. Hayashi also referred to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said such moves should never be allowed elsewhere. He said it was important to label it a “dismal failure” or other countries would attempt to change the status quo by force. Hayashi said there is an urgent need to strengthen the regional deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance, and that the Tokyo government plans to significantly increase defense budgets and fundamentally strengthen defense capabilities within five years. Hayashi, who was in Washington to launch a new “two-plus-two” economic dialogue with the US, said it was essential to keep all options on the table – including “counter-attack capabilities” – and boost high-tech defense capabilities. technology. He also said it was vital to bolster the credibility of the US extended deterrence – a reference to the US nuclear weapons umbrella that protects allies including Japan – while calling out China, which he said is “rapidly building its nuclear power in a non-transparent way’, to participate in nuclear risk reduction efforts.
