Key facts
- Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi used the Shangri-La Dialogue to criticize China's military capabilities.
- Koizumi's meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted Japan's anxiety about its security and alliance dependence.
- Japan is expanding security partnerships, including with the Philippines, which concerns Beijing.
- Analysts see these moves as building a regional military architecture due to perceived waning US commitment in Asia.
Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi used the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to deliver sharp warnings about China's military rise and lack of transparency, stepping into a void left by Beijing's absence from the forum. Koizumi pushed back against accusations of Japanese "new militarism," instead focusing on China's growing capabilities.
The forum saw Japan's prominence amplified when a session intended to allow China to present its regional security vision was cancelled. In a move signaling Tokyo's strategic positioning, Koizumi held a meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, a public display aimed at reinforcing US commitment to Asia. However, this interaction also exposed underlying anxieties in Japan regarding its own security and its reliance on the US alliance.
Analysts suggest that Japan's recent discussions about constructing nuclear-powered attack submarines and its expansion of security partnerships, such as with the Philippines, are critical components of a developing regional military architecture. This architecture is seen as a response to perceived wavering US engagement in Asia and China's efforts to fill any resulting security vacuum.