Japan promotes expansion of joint consultations with friendly countries such as China, Buddhism, and Japan in case of emergency

Refer to the NATO Treaty on ‘Consultation in case of threat to the security of the other country’… Improving the quality of cooperation with friendly countries

(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Cho Seong-mi = Local media reported that the Japanese government is speeding up the establishment of a system to discuss response plans with friendly countries (friend countries) such as Germany, France, and the Philippines that share Japan's values when an emergency situation such as an enemy attack occurs.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 26th, the Japanese government agreed to conduct emergency consultations with France and other countries in order to strengthen deterrence by improving the quality of security cooperation, and plans to specify this policy in the 'three major security documents' scheduled to be revised within the year.

Previously, Japan and Australia agreed to discuss response measures in the event of an emergency that affects the stability of both countries, keeping in mind China's expanding influence in the East and South China Seas, through the 'New Japan-Australia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation' in October 2022.

The joint declaration included the deepening of security cooperation, including joint training between the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Australian military and mutual use of facilities.

The Japanese government has decided to expand the framework of the emergency consultation with Australia to more countries and has concluded agreements with Germany, France, and the Philippines this year.

We agreed with France and Germany to cooperate in the field of security as needed not only in emergencies but also in normal times.

The Japanese government is said to be seeking to expand cooperation partners in emergency security situations with mutual provision of ammunition, joint maintenance of fighter jets and ships, and sharing of military information in mind.

Yomiuri explained that the emergency consultation system that the Japanese government is trying to establish with friendly countries refers to Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which is the basis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

This article stipulates that “consultation shall be held at any time when the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of a member state is judged to be threatened,” and a decision to conduct joint operations or collective defense is made based on the results of consultation.

Yomiuri reported that the Japanese government has signed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (ACSA) and the 'Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement', which are a prerequisite for arms exports, with friendly countries such as the Philippines, but it is not at the level of establishing a joint plan by assuming a specific emergency situation, so it is working to establish an emergency consultation system.