Concerns about the rise of autocracies and the challenges they pose to the liberal international order are driving the Netherlands to work “more closely than ever before” with Indo-Pacific countries, particularly Japan, on defense and economic security issues, the country's envoy to Tokyo said in an interview.
While The Hague's growing regional engagement already includes the deployment of warships every two years, cooperative activities could also soon extend to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, with plans now underway for the first-ever Indo-Pacific mission of Dutch F-35 fighter jets in 2026, Ambassador Gilles Beschoor Plug told The Japan Times.
“The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and the potential impact of South China Sea disruptions on international trade highlight how much regional security developments have become globally interconnected,” Plug said.
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