COMMENTARY / World

Will the U.S. end its ambiguity over Taiwan?

Adm. John C. Aquilino, who is nominated to lead the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said Japan's ability to defend itself is vital and it must continue to invest in improvements in its air and missile defense capabilities, as well as other security areas. | AFP-JIJI

By Kuni Miyake
Contributing writer

Mar 29, 2021

Here they go again. Kyodo and Jiji ran another misleading article. They reported that in his Senate confirmation hearing on March 23, Adm. John C. Aquilino, a nominee for commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), requested that Japan improve its military capability to cope with threats from China and North Korea.

The next day, Japanese media naturally asked Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato whether the U.S. would make the request to Japan in the upcoming Japan-U.S. summit meeting. “I recognize it is important for Japan to enhance its defense capability to further strengthen the alliance with the United States,” Kato replied.

I was perplexed because I could not find any request to Japan after watching the whole Senate hearing. Instead, what Aquilino said was: “I am extremely happy with the interoperability, coordination and relationship we have with the Japanese. I think it’s a strong cornerstone in executing deterrence in the region.”