China and Nuclear Integration: What Are the Objectives of the U.S.-Japan Alliance?

International Relations and Strategic Affairs Department, April 15, 2024

Introduction:

President Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Kishida at the White House during his visit to Washington.

The nuclear file and defense sector are the main topics of discussion between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to Washington, aimed at affirming the “steady partnership” between the United States and Japan.

Confronting China and its Nuclear Integration

President Biden seeks to reaffirm the strengthening of defense relations between the two countries located in the Pacific region in the face of China’s ambitions. The U.S. President described his guest as a “visionary” and the White House’s primary ally in the U.S. competition strategy with China.

The visit and cooperation talks symbolize the importance President Biden places on enhancing alliances to confront countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, in a world where tensions are escalating.

According to the White House National Security Advisor, Biden and Kishida “will announce measures to enhance security cooperation to achieve greater coordination and integration of armed forces.”

It is expected that the two officials will unveil a plan to restructure the U.S. military command in Japan with a force of 54,000 soldiers, marking the most significant enhancement of defense partnership between the two countries since the 1960s. The goal is to make their armed forces more flexible in case of a crisis like Beijing’s invasion of Taiwan, according to experts.

The Pentagon also announced that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are interested in including Japan in the AUKUS partnership, launched in 2021 aimed at providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines armed with conventional weapons, according to the Associated Press.

Beijing condemned the AUKUS agreement, saying it encourages division and could lead to military confrontation in the region. The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed its objection to Japan’s anticipated new role.

Support for Ukraine

The U.S. administration clarified its unequivocal support for Japan’s strong support for Ukraine. Tokyo has been one of the largest donors to Kyiv since the Russian invasion in 2022, increasing its defense spending amid concerns about Chinese military aggression.

It is expected that Kishida will reaffirm Japan’s support for Ukraine when addressing Congress, explaining the significance of the conflict in Eastern Europe for his country. Biden is struggling to convince Republicans in the House to support his call to send an additional $60 billion to Kyiv as part of its efforts to deter Russia.

Kishida warned that a war in Europe could lead to a conflict in East Asia, indicating that the lenient stance towards Russia encourages China.

Japan’s Ambassador to Washington, Shigeyo Yamada, stated: “The Prime Minister’s conviction is that Ukraine today could become East Asia tomorrow.”

Nuclear Integration

According to Reuters, the United States and Japan announced a joint partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of nuclear fusion.

The U.S. Department of Energy stated that the partnership will focus on scientific and technical challenges related to achieving commercial fusion and expanding collaboration between American and Japanese universities, national laboratories, and private companies.

Scientists, governments, and companies have been striving for decades to harness nuclear fusion, the nuclear interaction that powers the sun, to provide carbon-free electricity. It can be replicated on Earth using heat and pressure using lasers or magnets to fuse two light atomic nuclei into a denser nucleus, resulting in the release of vast amounts of energy.

Unlike nuclear fission power plants, fusion power plants, if built, will produce minimal long-term radioactive waste.

Japan has established a fusion industry forum to market the technology, with participants from engineering and energy companies. The forum is expected to provide recommendations to the Japanese government on safety and technology standards and serve as a link for external projects.

Japan and the United States are also expected to agree during the summit to support sustainable aviation fuel.

U.S. Steel Deal

The countries may also agree on the possibility of repairing U.S. military ships in specialized shipyards in Japan and on joint production of military equipment.

Prior to the state visit, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, stated that Japan, which has remained a peaceful nation for decades, has made changes in its defense policy in recent years that are “the most significant” since World War II.