US Ambassador to Japan: Japan's help is needed, claiming that US weapons stocks have dropped significantly
This is the "Osprey" transport aircraft stationed at the U.S. Army Futenma Base in Okinawa, Japan on November 25, 2023. Photo by reporter Feng Wuyong
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Emanuel said on Monday that the U.S. defense industry is overwhelmed and needs Japan's help to deal with strategic challenges in Europe and Asia.
According to comprehensive media reports, the United States and Japan held the first meeting of the "U.S.-Japan Defense Industry Cooperation, Procurement, and Maintenance Regular Consultation" at the Japanese Ministry of Defense from June 9 to 11. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel declared after the meeting on the 10th that "China has advanced production capacity, especially in building new ships, and will surpass us", "If you can have an ally to help you, then it means you can focus on the most important thing - building some new equipment to maintain competitiveness with China."
He added that potential cooperation between the United States and Japan also involves aircraft maintenance, missile production and military supply chain restoration.
The Japan Times reported that Emanuel said that since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the inventory of key weapons such as anti-tank missiles in the US arsenal has dropped significantly, "It is clear that the US military industrial base cannot cope with all the strategic challenges we face, and we now need to rethink how to do this." He pointed out that it would take the Pentagon 18 months to two years to restore the weapons to their original inventory.
Emanuel believes that help from Japan is the key to solving many of the above problems. Emanuel said that an important goal of this forum is to discuss how Japan can expand the production of joint combat weapon systems that the United States cannot mass-produce, and maintain these weapons.
Kyodo News Agency reported on June 11 that the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense held the first consultation of the "Ship Maintenance Working Group" in Tokyo on the 11th to explore the mechanism for Japanese companies to carry out large-scale maintenance of U.S. military ships. Emanuel mentioned the increase in China's naval strength that day, claiming that "when disputes occur, the U.S. Navy has no time to send ships back, so it is important to create a mechanism that can be repaired in Japan."
In response, Japan's Defense Equipment Agency Director-General Masataka Fukasawa said, "We hope to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship that strengthens Japan's defense industrial base while enhancing the deterrence of the Japan-US alliance."
Japanese scholars warned that although Washington sees Tokyo as a key factor in strengthening its defense production, Japan may end up becoming a de facto subcontractor due to its weak domestic defense industry. Some domestic experts also worry that Tokyo may be drawn into the escalating security tensions around the world.
Japanese media reported that DICAS aims to strengthen deterrence and enhance mutual coordination between the United States and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a new cooperation project established by US President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April this year. On April 10, the leaders of the United States and Japan issued a joint statement after their meeting, saying that it is vital to continue to strengthen the United States' extended deterrence with the support of Japan's defense capabilities, and will further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Previously, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded many times to the strengthening of military cooperation between the United States and Japan, urging Japan to truly respect the security concerns of its neighboring countries, deeply reflect on its history of aggression, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through practical actions.