The two countries are considering holding a meeting between Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during an Asia security conference, organized by Britain's International Institute of Strategic Studies, in Singapore on June 4-5.
The Japanese and U.S. governments have embarked on talks to draw up a joint document about new role-sharing between the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military with a view to releasing it in June, according to government sources.
In the document, which will be prepared in connection with talks over the realignment of U.S. troops in Japan, the two governments intend to establish practical defense cooperation between Japan and the United States in the following three areas:
-- Defense of Japan.
-- Dealing with new threats.
-- Improving international security.
Other issues the two sides plan to include in the document are: giving the U.S. forces priority at civilian airports and seaports in Japan and allowing the SDF to give logistic support to the U.S. forces in case of a state emergency in Japan; joint handling of international terrorism and ballistic missiles; and strengthening the partnership in the Proliferation Security Initiative. Under a policy held by the two governments, those issues will be reflected in a review of the Japan-U.S. defense cooperation guidelines.
The governments are also considering including in the document part of the relocation plan of U.S. bases in Japan, on which Japan and the United States have both basically agreed. They then hope to proceed with negotiations with the local governments concerned and finalize the relocation plan by the end of the year.
The current guidelines, which were drawn up in 1997, stipulate Japan-U.S. cooperation in three areas: cooperation under normal circumstances; cooperation in a national emergency in Japan; and cooperation in emergencies in areas surrounding Japan.
This time, the latter two will be included under the clause covering Japan's national defense. Also to be included in the document is a provision that priority should be given to U.S. forces in using civilian airports and seaports in those emergencies, which has become possible due to the enactment of laws concerning emergencies. The document will also set out that the logistic support the SDF are to give to the U.S. forces in those emergencies is to include supply and transport of fuel and provisions, and guarding U.S. bases. The government also intends to have such logistic support lead to the reduction and integration of U.S. bases in Japan.
As for dealing with new threats, the document is expected to include such topics as accelerating joint research and information sharing regarding missile defense and information exchange to block terrorist attacks.
In improving international security, the document is to praise the SDF's international cooperation activities in the Indian Ocean and Iraq, and lay out a policy to strengthen Japan-U.S. cooperation in these areas. Another policy to be included is undertaking joint assessment of damage in places hit by major disasters such as the earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean tsunami in December, with an eye to conducting rescue activities.
The two countries are considering holding a meeting between Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during an Asia security conference, organized by Britain's International Institute of Strategic Studies, in Singapore on June 4-5.
