“Japan in Talks to Open First NATO Liaison Office in Asia, Says Minister of Foreign Affairs – CNBC Indonesia”

International

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Japan is reportedly in talks to open the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) liaison office in Asia. This was conveyed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Yoshimasa Hayashi.

“We have discussed it, but no details have been finalized yet,” Hayashi told CNN InternationalWednesday (10/5/2023).

Hayashi specifically cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year as an event that impacted far beyond Europe’s borders, forcing Japan to rethink regional security.

“The reason why we are talking about this is because since Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, the world has become more unstable,” he said.

“Something that happened in Eastern Europe is not only limited to the problems in Eastern Europe, and it directly affects the situation in the Pacific. That is why the cooperation between us in East Asia and NATO (becomes) even more important.”

He added that Japan is not a member of the NATO treaty, but the move sends a message that the bloc’s Asia Pacific partners are engaged very steadily with NATO.

“Regarding plans to open a liaison office in Japan, we will not go into details of ongoing discussions among NATO allies,” a NATO spokesman said in a statement.

He then added that NATO and Japan have a long-term cooperation.

The opening of a NATO liaison office in Japan will mark a significant development for the Western alliance as it deepens geopolitical lines. This is likely to draw criticism from the Chinese government.

NATO has similar liaison offices elsewhere including Ukraine and Vienna. The liaison office in Japan will allow discussions with NATO security partners, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Chinese reaction

China has previously warned of NATO extending its reach to Asia and responded angrily to reports of an office opening in Japan.

“Asia is a promising land for cooperation and a hotbed for peaceful development. It should not become a platform for those seeking a geopolitical fight,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a briefing last week.

“NATO’s eastward push and interference in Asia-Pacific matters will definitely undermine regional peace and stability.”

Although Beijing has claimed impartiality in the Ukraine war and was not aware of Russia’s intentions beforehand, it has refused to condemn Moscow’s actions. Instead, China blamed NATO for provoking the conflict.

(luc/luc)