U.S. and Japan Revamp Military Command to Counter China

The U.S. announced a major overhaul of its military command in Japan to deepen coordination with Japanese forces, calling China the 'greatest strategic challenge' in the region. This change aims to enhance joint operational responsibilities and is part of broader efforts to address evolving security threats, including those from China and North Korea.

The United States announced on Sunday a significant overhaul of its military command structure in Japan to enhance coordination with its Japanese allies, identifying China as the 'greatest strategic challenge' in the region. This follows high-level security discussions in Tokyo involving U.S. Secretaries Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, as well as their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara.

Secretary of Defense Austin stated, 'The United States will upgrade the U.S. Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities,' adding that this marks the most substantial change to U.S. Forces Japan in 70 years. The modifications will align with Japan's own plans to establish a joint command by March 2025.

The move addresses an 'evolving security environment' characterized by China's 'provocative' actions in regional waters and its expansion of nuclear capabilities, the ministers said in a joint statement. Despite the changes, Austin emphasized that the command upgrade is not solely in response to threats from China but aims to foster closer and more effective cooperation between U.S. and Japanese forces.

(With inputs from agencies.)