Analysts say the joint air drills represent Europe’s willingness to have some “military skin in the game”, rather than just professing rhetorical support.
Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force during drills with forces from Germany, France and Spain in July. Photo: X/@JASDF
The Air Self-Defence Force, as Japan’s air force is known, “is the most domestic unit” of the country’s military, as its role has mostly been limited to defending Japanese airspace, said Yoichiro Sato, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at Japan’s Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.
“Combat exercises with Nato members are not only politically symbolic, but also instrumental in raising interoperability among them” and improving capabilities, Sato said, noting the joint drills would bring the Japanese air force “up to speed”.
Describing the drills as both “symbolic and substantive”, Daniel Fiott of the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy in Brussels said they underlined Europe’s growing military engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
“There has been a feeling that Europe’s own interest in the Indo-Pacific has been rather rhetorical,” Fiott said. “So close exercises with partners such as Japan deliver on the objectives of enhancing Europe’s military partnerships, improving interoperability and sending a message to China.”
“Europe cannot profess to want to support an open and free Indo-Pacific without military skin in the game,” he added, further citing previous joint naval drills.
European powers have steadily been strengthening their presence in the region in recent years.
Germany sent a warship to the South China Sea in 2021 for the first time in almost 20 years. Photo: Twitter
In 2021, a German warship sailed through the South China Sea, the first such deployment in nearly two decades. This year, Germany has sent two warships to the Indo-Pacific, while France has scheduled aircraft stopovers at a Philippine airbase as part of its annual Pegase mission. Italy is also set to deploy a carrier strike group to the South China Sea and the Philippines.
Analysts say these moves are a clear response to China’s increasingly “aggressive” actions around the region, which have rattled America’s regional allies and partners. While Europe alone may lack the heft to deter China, Fiott said it was working closely with Japan, South Korea and Australia to build a broader regional security architecture that can push back against Beijing’s assertiveness.
This includes not just joint military exercises, but also nascent security and defence industry partnerships, with the European Union seeking to jointly develop military equipment with Japan and South Korea, according to reports in June citing a senior EU commission official.
Maintaining regular security dialogues with key regional players is also a priority.
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Europe’s Asia-Pacific partners have proven this security partnership is “not a one-way street”, Fiott said.
Indeed, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, US allies in Asia have imposed economic and financial sanctions on Moscow while providing direct material and diplomatic aid to Ukraine.
They have not only deterred further Russian aggression, but also offered critical support to bolster European security.
“All partners have understood that diplomatic and military steps are needed to deter Beijing,” Fiott told This Week in Asia.
The joint drills mark a significant shift, according to James Brown, a political-science professor at the Tokyo campus of Temple University. He said the Japanese government has realised the security provided by the US alone is no longer sufficient amid rising regional tensions.
“Tokyo is therefore seeking to supplement the alliance with the US, which remains essential, with closer security ties with other like-minded countries,” Brown said.
This is evidenced by Japan and Britain’s agreement last year to deepen defence cooperation through joint exercises and a next-generation fighter jet project. Starting next year, the UK also plans to hold regular military drills in the Indo-Pacific alongside Japan and the US.
Japan’s Fumio Kishida shakes hands with former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) at the signing of a defence agreement in London last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
European leaders recognise that their continent’s security is intertwined with that of Asia, Brown said.
A conflict over Taiwan “would be disastrous for Europe too”, he said. “For this reason, deterring Chinese aggression has become a priority.”
While Japan’s military cooperation with Europe is still in its nascent stages compared to its decades-long training with US forces, there is a strategic advantage.
“When cooperating with the US, Japan is always the junior partner due to the vast scale of the US military,” Brown said. “With European countries, Japan is cooperating with equals.”
Source link : https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3271995/message-china-europe-steps-air-drills-japans-backyard-amid-regional-threats
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Publish date : 2024-07-28 01:30:16
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