NATO is planning to establish its first liaison office in Tokyo to strengthen ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The move comes as the military alliance expresses concerns about the threat of China’s communist regime. According to Nikkei Asia, the new office will enable consultations with key Asia-Pacific partners such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea and serve as a point of contact with other regional nations. Danish ambassador to Japan, Peter Taksøe-Jensen, noted the geopolitical landscape has changed dramatically since 2010, leading NATO to focus more on Asia-Pacific nations. The proposed plan is to open a single-person office in Tokyo next year.
Negotiations are ongoing about whether Japan will provide the office itself or if NATO will fund it. The new office is far more substantial than a symbolic relationship, according to Taksøe-Jensen. It will focus on challenging issues such as cyber security and disinformation. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg first discussed the idea during his visit to Tokyo on January 31, and it is expected to be finalized soon.
NATO has increased engagement with Japan to address China’s and Russia’s growing military cooperation, which could destabilize the region, including drills around Japanese territorial waters. In a statement, Japan and NATO warned of China’s and Russia’s military activities and called on China’s communist regime to be transparent and cooperate with international arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation efforts. The duo stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and urged the Chinese government to refrain from its aggressive provocations against Taiwan.
For the first time, the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept identified the Chinese communist regime as a priority. The concept is the second most important document in NATO and guides the organization’s political and military development by providing a collective assessment of the current security environment. NATO began active engagement in the Asia-Pacific region due to the implications of the Ukrainian conflict.