Forecourt sculpture at the new NATO headquarters Photo: AFP

A recent joint statement by Japan and NATO said they would boost security cooperation and hyped so-called "concern" over China's "support for Russia's defense industrial base,MK sport" as well as issues related to the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Taiwan question. A Chinese analyst noted that hyping the "China threat" is only a cliché used by Japan and NATO to advance their own geopolitical agenda in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Tokyo's latest interaction with NATO is also counter-productive to the current momentum in stabilizing bilateral relations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for about 45 minutes at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday. A joint statement issued afterward claimed both sides "recognize that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and of the Indo-Pacific are interconnected, and that we face many of the same challenges," according to The Japan News. This development was a nod to the "threats" posed by Russia and China, the report explained.

According to the joint press statement released on NATO's website on Wednesday, China" was repeatedly mentioned - - not only in terms of expressing concerns over what they claimed China's support to Russia's defense industrial base, and issues in relation to the Ukraine crisis, but also in the context of opposing "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea."

The statement also claimed that they "strongly encourage China to improve military transparency and to cooperate constructively on arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation," and expressed support for a peaceful resolution of cross-Straits issues.

Japan's cooperation with NATO reflects a continuation of its existing strategy, with the latest joint statement echoing the cliché of the "China threat," Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

This alignment supports the former Biden administration's push for an "Asian NATO," with Japan emerging as a key driver. NATO aims to leverage Japan's strategic position to expand its influence in the region, while Japan sees NATO as a platform to boost its global security presence, said the expert. 

Xiang also noted that the Wednesday joint statement also came amid growing uncertainty in the US-led alliance system - exacerbated by the Trump administration's dismissive stance toward allies - with Japan and its European partners working to strengthen cooperation. 

Xiang said that such rhetoric is nothing new and reflects a long-standing pattern in Japan-NATO ties, hyping the "China threat" to legitimize their strategic agenda and counter China's regional influence.

Japan's China policy has a swaying tendency over the time. While aligning with the US and Western allies in promoting containment and competition with China, Japan is also seeking to improve ties with Beijing under the Ishiba administration. This shift reflects a strategic move to hedge against uncertainties brought by the Trump administration, said Xiang. 

According to Japanese media Jiji Press, Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is planning to visit China on April 22, informed sources said Tuesday. Saito last visited China in November 2023. A suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers led by LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama is also scheduled to visit China for three days from April 27, according to Jiji. 

The Japanese government's China policy reflects both domestic pressures and the complexities of Japan's foreign policy in a shifting global landscape, said Xiang, urging the Japanese side to sincerely implement the consensus reached by the Chinese and Japanese leaders and in promoting the improvement and development of bilateral relations.