Japan engages Biden admin preempting Chinese aggression over Senkaku Island

New Delhi: Japan, pre-empting any Chinese move to up the ante over disputed islands on the lines of Taiwan, has reached out to treaty ally USA. The Defence Ministers of the two countries during a recent telephone conversation have reaffirmed to cooperate to protect the sovereignty of Japan’s Senkaku Islands.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his newly appointed U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin decided to further bolster the U.S.-Japan alliance and maintain and strengthen a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, according to persons aware of US-Japan ties.

Signalling that Japan and the U.S. were looking to encourage more countries to join the regional security fold, the two ministers also agreed that their allies would play a central role in “strengthening cooperation with various partners both inside and outside the region” in order to maintain and strengthen a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. While India is not a treaty ally of either USA or Japan, it has growing strategic partnership with both Tokyo and Washington besides being a member of Quad along with Australia.

Austin “affirmed that the Senkaku Islands are covered by Article V of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, and that the United States remains opposed to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo…,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Article 5 states that the U.S. will defend territories under Japan’s administration in the event of an armed attack. China, which also claims the Senkakus calls them the Diaoyu. China has repeatedly sent vessels near the islands.

The Kishi-Austin teleconference was the first ministerial-level talks between Japan and the United States since President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.

“Both ministers oppose attempts to unilaterally change the status quo … and pledged to maintain a free and open maritime order based on the rule of law, including freedom of navigation and flight,” the Japanese Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Kishi called Austin’s remarks “very encouraging” and said he would aim to build a relationship of trust while further strengthening deterrence.

“I felt that Defense Secretary Austin has a strong interest in the security environment in Asia and attaches importance to the Japan-U.S. alliance,” Kishi said.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had received a similar reassurance in November from Biden, president-elect at the time, that the Senkakus were covered under the treaty.

In a move that could complicate attempts to repair Sino-Japanese ties, Beijing last Friday passed a bill that allows its coast guard more freedom to use weapons on foreign ships involved in illegal activities in waters it claims, state-run media reported, heightening the chance of a miscalculation.

Tokyo has been working to maintain balance between Beijing, a top economic partner, and the U.S., its closest security ally, as Sino-American ties plunge touch new lows over matters including trade, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Tokyo, which has been watching closely how the Biden administration approaches Asia and China policy, was also likely to be encouraged by Austin’s apparent embrace of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy after the talks.

“Had a great first call with Defense Minister @KishiNobuo. We discussed the resolute and resilient nature of the U.S.-Japan Alliance & joint efforts to maintain a free & open Indo-Pacific. Kishi-san, I look forward to working with you,” Austin tweeted. Austin signaled he would like to visit Japan “as soon as possible,” the Defense Ministry said.