The United States and Japan have unveiled new guidelines for “extended” deterrence, citing an “increasingly severe strategic and nuclear threat environment” that reflects heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific, where China, Russia, and North Korea have taken steps to modernize their arsenals and project power.
The guidelines, unveiled on Dec. 27 through coordinated statements from the U.S. State Department and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscore the two nations’ commitment to reinforcing their alliance to maintain regional stability and deter conflict.
“The Alliance will continue to explore how best to ensure extended deterrence is strong and credible,” read the identical statements from the two countries.
The guidelines are the culmination of long-running discussions under the Extended Deterrence Dialogue, a bilateral framework established in 2010 to address challenges to the U.S.–Japan alliance posed by evolving security threats.
Details of the new guidelines have not been disclosed. Both the United States and Japan said that the document emphasizes enhancing strategic messaging to ensure adversaries clearly understand the alliance’s resolve and capabilities. The measures also include bolstering U.S. extended deterrence with Japan’s defense advancements, such as enhanced missile defense systems and readiness to respond to contingencies. […]
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