President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected this week to announce a ramped-up level of defense and intelligence cooperation between the two countries, senior administration officials said.
The officials said details of the enhanced military partnership will be worked out by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Japanese counterpart in the next several months. However, the U.S. expects Japan to step up and play a significant role in producing more military and defense equipment.
With Philippines President Bongbong Marcos joining the two leaders for a three-way summit on Thursday, another clear goal of this week's meetings between the U.S. and the Asian nations has become clear: underscoring global coordination in the face of increased hostility in the region from China.
China in recent weeks has had some maritime run-ins in the South China Sea with the Philippines, with the Chinese Coast Guard directing water guns at Filipino vessels.
This hostility will not deter the Philippines, U.S. officials said. "The country that is isolated on Thursday is China, not the Philippines," one official said about the three-way Washington summit this week.
U.S. officials have acknowledged the efforts made by Japan in enhancing intelligence cooperation by taking significant steps to safeguard sensitive intelligence information. However, they also mentioned that there is still progress to be made before Japan meets the necessary information security standards to potentially become a part of the Five Eyes intelligence network. Becoming a member of this intelligence sharing alliance, which includes the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, is seen by Japanese security experts as a strategic move to increase protection against China's activities.
Officials have outlined another avenue to bolster Japan's defense and intelligence collaboration: the country will initiate discussions to potentially join a security pact established during the Biden administration involving Australia, the U.K., and the U.S.
These strategic goals are part of a 70-point agenda that the U.S. and Japan are set to unveil this week.
On a lighter note, Japan has offered to replace numerous beloved cherry blossom trees in the Tidal Basin area with saplings, and the Japanese prime minister is expected to kick off some of these plantings during a ceremony on the National Mall later this week.
Additionally, officials have disclosed plans for a significant lunar agreement, expanded university research collaborations, and the introduction of a new scholarship program for U.S. high school students to participate in exchange programs with Japanese schools.
In a broader context, U.S. officials emphasized that the U.S.-Japan alliance exemplifies President Biden's strategy of deepening engagement with nations in the Indo-Pacific region to promote greater global cooperation. A senior administration official highlighted that while Japan used to focus primarily on its own defense, in recent years, the country has shown support for Ukraine, backed sanctions against Russia, and increased its involvement in the Middle East.
One U.S. official expressed that whenever the American mission is being challenged, Japan stands alongside us as a steadfast ally.
