There is no certainty for Japan in AUKUS
Japan has wanted to join since AUKUS was announced. Until now, that desire has not been fulfilled.
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United States President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on April 10, 2024.
WASHINGTON, TUESDAY — The United States cannot say for sure when Japan will join the AUKUS. Washington also has not been able to say what part Tokyo could be involved in this military alliance.
The Director of International Cooperation and Arms Control at the US Department of State, Bonnie Denise Jenkins, presented this in Washington on Tuesday (23/4/2024). "We do not have a timeline for Japan or other countries that we will discuss regarding membership additions," she said.
Also read: AUKUS Will Expand Members to Defend China, Japan Becomes Candidate
Jenkins' statement reiterated Japan's desire to join AUKUS. In early April 2024, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell indicated that Japan would not be accepted into AUKUS in the near future. This is because Tokyo was deemed unable to meet the requirements for patent protection and intellectual property rights according to U.S. standards.
The proposed solution is to examine pillar II and assess each project for potential involvement of other parties and whether Japan is a suitable candidate for it. What is not being proposed is the addition of AUKUS membership.
In fact, Campbell was most enthusiastic about pushing for a US-Japan alliance. In fact, he called the US-Japan alliance the main thing for the US Indo-Pacific strategy.
An F-18E fighter jet took off from the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during joint exercises with Japan and South Korea in the East China Sea on April 11, 2024.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also stated that there are currently no plans to add members to AUKUS. The statement was made a few hours after the Defense Ministers of the US, Australia, and UK announced plans to consider involving Japan in the AUKUS' second pillar.
"What is proposed is to examine pillar II and see each project, whether there will be involvement of (other parties) and whether Japan will be a suitable candidate for it. What is not proposed is the addition of AUKUS membership," said Albanese.
Also read: AUKUS Increases Rivalry, Jokowi Asks Australia to Open to ASEAN
Speaking to Reuters, a Japanese official who declined to be identified stated that Australia and Britain objected to accepting Japan as a new member of AUKUS. At least the objection will persist until there are concrete results from AUKUS.
If the President does not trust Japan to operate a steel factory in the US, how can he trust them with the most important secrets of our country?
Since its announcement in September 2021, there have been no concrete developments from AUKUS. "Discussing the addition of members when AUKUS has not yet achieved anything will only disrupt the framework of cooperation that forms the basis of the alliance," said the official.
An American F-35 fighter jet is preparing to take off from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during a joint training exercise between Japan and the US in November 2023.
Australian National University lecturer, John Blaxland, also mentioned that there is reluctance among AUKUS members to add new members until the cooperation produces tangible results. "The journey is still too early," he said.
According to Jenkins, currently AUKUS members are focusing on aligning their various domestic regulations to facilitate the alliance. One of the focuses is on protecting military secrets and intellectual property rights.
Also read: Australia objects to additional members, Japan strengthens AUKUS Pillar II
AUKUS members want to ensure that there is no leakage of military secrets. Another issue is that US laws still limit the export of certain military technologies. "All three countries work closely together to ensure that they have aligned export control regulations that can ensure the security of information and technology that will be shared," said Jenkins.
A senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, William C Greenwalt, has stated that it is not the right time to accept Japan into AUKUS. Such acceptance would be premature.
According to him, all AUKUS members doubt Japan's reliability in military technology cooperation. Japan's cybersecurity track record is very poor and has repeatedly been targeted by China, Russia, and North Korea hackers.
Even US President Joe Biden has shown distrust towards Japan. Biden did so by rejecting the acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel. "If the President does not trust Japan to operate a steel plant in the US, how can he trust them with our country's most important secrets?" said Greenwalt.
Old passion
According to a guest lecturer at Tama University in Tokyo, Brad Glosserman, Japan has expressed a desire to join since AUKUS was announced in 2021. Meanwhile, a lecturer at Kobe University, Tosh Minohara, stated that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are very eager to access various military technologies that will be shared through AUKUS.
Also read: Australian Workers Union Rejects Construction of AUKUS Submarine Base
So far, according to the US Department of Defense on April 8, 2024, the three members of AUKUS are still considering Japan's involvement in Pillar II of the alliance. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Tokyo Rahm Emanuel said that Japan will be the first partner for Pillar II of AUKUS. Pillar II will focus on collaboration in technology related to artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles, other types of missiles, and intelligence sharing.
On another note, Japan has agreed with the United Kingdom and Italy to develop a new generation of fighter aircraft. Japan has also changed the rules that previously prohibited the export of weapons.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, were greeted with a military ceremony after landing at Andrews Military Air Base in Maryland, United States on Monday (8/4/2024).
Jenkins stated that AUKUS members have identified several opportunities to collaborate in pillar II. These include technological innovation, industrial capacity, as well as adequate data and information protection.
Technological innovation being discussed with partner countries include strengthening military capabilities for cyber and underwater warfare, including the potential use of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
This collaboration does not only involve military personnel. The cooperation also involves academia and businesspeople, industrial owners, to jointly develop military technology that can later be accessed by each country. "The government, industry, academia, and military will collaborate on this new technology," Jenkins said. (AFP/REUTERS)
