Dr John Chipman, Director General and Chief Executive, IISS
Our next speaker is Toshimi Kitazawa. He has been the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and Defense at the House of Councillors. He was the Vice President of the Democratic Party of Japan, and since September 2008 he has been Minister of Defense of Japan. As many of you will have seen, there is a new Prime Minister in Japan, and we thank the Minister of Defense of Japan for the extraordinary commitment he has shown to the Shangri-La Dialogue, to come and address us here so soon after that change.
Toshimi Kitazawa, Minister of Defense, Japan
Director-General Chipman, thank you for your kind introduction. Respected Guests, as you know from my introduction, I am Toshimi Kitazawa, the Minister of Defence for Japan.
I am extremely honoured to be given this opportunity to make a statement at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which has significance as the largest venue for multilateral exchange at the defence minister-level in the Asia-Pacific region. I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Government of Singapore.
As everyone already knows from my introduction, Prime Minister Hatoyama recently resigned from the post of prime minister in Japan, and former Deputy Prime Minister Kan was designated as the new prime minister by the Diet. There were some misgivings about my attendance at this meeting due to the resignation of the prime minister. However, I was directly contacted by Prime Minister-designate Kan, who emphasizes security, immediately after his appointment by the Diet, and he insisted that I attend this meeting. So here I am. And I would like to convey to everyone that this says something about how Kan’s Cabinet to be newly introduced next week will emphasize peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
The theme of today’s second plenary session is “New Dimensions of Security.”
I would like to take up considering the ocean as a global commons and Japan’s policies concerning the ocean as a topic of this session’s focus because the ocean, enveloping the country on all four sides, is a basic element of Japan’s surroundings.
To start off, I will speak on Japan’s relationship with the ocean.
I believe that the ocean has played three important roles for Japan, an island nation surrounded on all four sides by the seas. One role would be that of a “blessing,” having been the site of natural resources since long ago. Another role is that of a “road,” having conveyed to Japan everything from agricultural technology and rice farming to Buddhism and knowledge about advanced cultures from far-away continents. Lastly, the ocean has acted as a natural “defence barricade,” protecting Japan from invasion by foreign forces.
At this point in my presentation, I would like to recite a waka, a classic Japanese poem.
“Ima Kawaru Nii Sakimori ga Funade suru Unabara no ue ni Namina Sakisone”
This is a waka composed approximately 1300 years ago by Ootomo no Yakamochi. The poem is about soldiers protecting their country, saying “These troops going out to sea are new troops replacing those who are returning home. I beg you, ocean, that you will send them out on quiet, peaceful waves.” I think it depicts the close connection between Japan’s security and the ocean since long ago.
How to handle the ocean has been discussed in the international community, and efforts have been made to create norms. The ancient Romans used to call the Mediterranean Sea “Our Sea.”, and in Europe, the notion that those who control the sea would dominate the world was conceived ever since the Great Age of Exploration. At any rate, the idea that is based on the understanding that controlling the sea is important in conducting political and economic activity has long been held.
These days, however, as the number of nation states has increased, seabed resources and other marine resources have been found increasingly valuable in supporting economic development.
With the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea taking effect in 1994, the high seas, that is, maritime areas that do not belong to anyone, greatly decreased, and territorial waters of littoral states and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) jurisdictions make up 40% of the worlds’ oceans. When state sovereignty over a maritime area is recognized, or an area where states rights are recognized to a certain extent increase, the state can exercise such rights to these areas. At the same time, the states responsibilities to the waters in which they have jurisdiction also increase.
As such, while the ocean is recognized as an area which countries have jurisdiction over, it is increasingly gaining the characteristics of a global commons as interdependence and globalization progress, much like cyber space and outer space. No single power alone can secure maritime safety and therefore, maritime security requires diverse collaboration among not only nation states but also international organizations.
Maritime security is vital for all users to safely and stably benefit from the ocean as a global commons. But as you all know, piracy activity has been occurring as evidenced by events off the coast of Somalia and in the Malacca Straits, and maritime drug trafficking and terrorism routes have also been utilized. Dealing with them has become an important challenge. In addition, increasing maritime activity has increased the risk of unforeseen accidents at sea. Further, the concerns cannot be dealt with by one country.
I would like to touch upon the Japan-U.S. relationship here. When considering the stability of this widespread maritime region that stretches throughout Asia, we cannot exclude the United States. For more than 60 years, the United States has secured the safety of the ocean as a global commons. U.S. forces alone have the capacity to deploy throughout this entire area. Although the specific circumstances and the maritime region’s individual characteristics must be considered when addressing concerns, the United States plays a large role in keeping watch over this entire region. I think that a continued close and cooperative relationship between Japan and the United States will play an important role in securing maritime safety.
Up until now, when we thought of securing the safety of maritime routes, we thought in terms of “lines,” as in Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC). However, it is clear that securing the safety of maritime routes in a uniform and standardized manner would be difficult due to differing situations and threats in various maritime regions, and the differences in capabilities of various littoral states. Instead, it may be more practical to divide up SLOCs into several maritime regions, or “areas,” in order to come up with measures to ensure maritime security in relation to each area’s specific circumstances.
If we divide up the maritime area between the Middle East and Northeast Asia into Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the Middle East from east to west, we can explain the situation as follows.
In Northeast Asia, which includes Japan, while non-state actor activity such as piracy and terrorism is infrequent, there are still traditional/conventional destabilizing concerns. Southeast Asia is a key strategic area encompassing maritime routes connecting the east and west. The region has many littoral states and issues involving territorial rights and maritime borders remain unresolved. Terrorism and piracy also exist in the region along with other instability concerns. However, the littoral states have formed a core in counter-piracy efforts to take active measures in the Malacca Straits. In the Indian Ocean that spans from the Malacca Straits to the Middle East, international measures against terrorism continue, and efforts to stabilize the region such as multilateral naval exercises led by the Indian Navy are also in progress. Lastly in the Middle East, acts of terrorism and piracy off the coast of Somalia occur frequently, and as you well know, are being dealt with by the international community in a collaborative manner.
If we look at the entire maritime area from Northeast Asia to the Middle East, there is a wide variety of efforts underway. Take counter-piracy measures for example; around 30 countries have deployed naval vessels off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden based on a series of UN Security Council Resolutions. In Asia, the “Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)” was adopted, allowing for the establishment and operation of the Information Sharing Centre. These measures are truly the culmination of regional efforts to secure maritime safety.
Now, I would like to share with you several specific examples of what Japan is doing for maritime security.
We will start with the aforementioned counter-piracy measures off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. About 2,000 Japan-related ships pass through this maritime region every year. For Japan, this area makes up a portion of the SLOC that ties East Asia with Europe and the Middle East. As such, the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force dispatched two escort ships and two P-3C patrol aircraft to work from both the sea and the air to protect ships from acts of piracy. Escort operations are aimed to protect commercial vessels of all nations, and information collected by the P-3Cs are shared with relevant organizations and militaries, allowing international collaboration during operations. Japan intends to continue this in the future.
Japan’s Self-Defence Forces have been engaged in various types of exercises with the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including training in submarine rescue, minesweeping, search and rescue, and the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
A Maritime Self-Defence Force transport vessel and a joint medical team made up of Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defence Force members, joining forces with about 20 volunteers from various Japanese NGOs, are participating in “Pacific Partnership 2010,” led by U.S. Pacific Command. The team is engaged in medical activities in Vietnam and Cambodia. Japan intends to consider continuing our proactive participation in these and other types of activities in the future.
The joint exercises that the Maritime Self-Defence Force conducts with other forces not only contribute to confidence building between the MSDF and their counterparts but also improve the capabilities of both the MSDF and their counterparts, as well as enhance operational collaboration.
As I previously stated, the responsibilities of the littoral states with regard to maritime safety are increasing. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism via the ocean can weaken a state’s ability to govern, and can destabilize the region.
Standing on the perspective that ensuring the safe and stable use of the ocean through multinational cooperation in enhancing the capacity of littoral states in securing maritime safety will benefit the shared interest of the international community, Japan intends to continue its support for capacity-building in the form of defence exchanges and cooperation.
There is also the need to consider ways in which to prevent unforeseen accidents from occurring.
A variety of vessels navigate the seas daily, and once a maritime accident occurs, serious damage can be incurred and precious lives can be lost. There is also the possibility of environmental pollution. I believe that maintaining a system and organizational structure that supports safe maritime passage is meaningful.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely eliminate the chances of unforeseen circumstances or emergency situations, like a collision. When unfortunate circumstances arise, the existence of agreed-upon protocols for the prevention of accidents, and a communications mechanism that could be used when accidents occur, would be valuable tools to prevent the situation from further worsening.
This April, when naval vessels of the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China carried out what was seen as training activity in the East China Sea, a ship-based helicopter also engaged in flight training. At that time, the ship-based helicopter flew in extremely close to a Maritime Self-Defence Force escort ship, and this happened again out in the Pacific Ocean. These flights were seen as dangerous to the safe navigation of our ships. At last November’s Japan-China defence ministerial meeting in Tokyo, the two countries agreed to have exchanges between our defence authorities on establishing a maritime communications mechanism linking Japan and China’s defence organizations.
I offer my heartfelt condolences for the 46 victims whose lives were lost in the March 26 sinking of the South Korean naval escort ship, the “Cheonan,” and to their families. Japan offers its support to the South Korean government, and along with the international community, strongly condemns North Korea’s behaviour.
Japan has continued to enforce a series of sanctions against North Korea, including a ban against North Korean imports and port access for all North Korea-flagged ships. And on May 28, Japan enacted a cargo inspection law to allow for the inspection of North Korean imports and exports banned under UN Security Counsel Resolutions. Japan intends to continue to collaborate and work closely with all relevant countries including South Korea and the United States in order to handle the issue of North Korea.
Looking toward the end of this year, the Japanese Ministry of Defence must proceed with the completion of two important projects that provide the foundations for our national security policies: the review of the National Defence Program Guidelines and the decision on the Mid-Term Defence Program. Details are yet to be worked out, but we hope to decide on general directions by this summer. In the current security environment, issues such as anti-terrorism, disaster relief, and causes of instability against maritime safety have created nebulous conditions that are neither peacetime nor contingencies. We take note of the fact that seamless operations are of increasing importance in these nebulous conditions. We recognize the need to consider these issues, which require effective response by our defence capabilities, and to reflect our consideration of these issues in our defence policies.
The ocean, as a global commons, is the foundation of prosperity for those of us living in the Asia-Pacific region. Looking toward the future, I believe we all need to makes efforts so that everyone can enjoy the ocean’s blessings. Japan for its part will continue to make efforts not only on its own, but also in various forms of cooperation with the countries in the region such as capacity-building, joint exercises and activities like Pacific Partnership.
Thank you for your attention.
