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© Thomson Reuters 2023.Japan won't join NATO, but local office OK, Kishida says
By Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
59 Comments
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OssanAmerica
Proper answer to a reporter asking a dumb question. The answer could be different a few years down the road though.
YeahRight
Read the article.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Fairly certain Japan already follows NATO standards. As long as the US is the primary ally Japan is depending on, it isn't that big of a deal if NATO remains separate from the Quad.
Michael Machida
Japan will join as soon as other Asian countries join. Japan is never the first and is always the last in anything on a global scale.
Raw Beer
NATO pretends to be defensive, but it has shown itself to be offensive and up to no good. Better stay away from it.
Perhaps Japan should join BRICS...
Mr Kipling
NATO needs a rebrand. North Atlantic?
How about USVA?
United States Vassal Alliance?
FizzBit
Very smart call. The US and globalist elites are bent on dividing everyone from countries, to race to gender. Thank god Musk took Twitter out of their tool box.
Fighto!
LOL.
You realize BRICS is an organization for emerging economies. Right? Japan has had a fully developed economy for many decades.
Sven Asai
Joining BRICS? Are you kidding? As an US ally that’s not even possible as BRICS includes Russia and consists of its biggest devotees when it’s about economic ranking and political support on the global stage. Not even the islands question and still overdue peace treaty is in active work currently.
diagonalslip
May 4 06:18 am JST
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/nato-to-open-japan-office-to-enable-indo-pacific-consultation-report
FizzBit
Someone who obviously hasn’t read “Confessions of an economic hit man”
invalid CSRF
deanzaZZR
Japan won't join North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Breaking News!
Mike_Oxlong
I propose the Pacific Unity Treaty Organization - PUTO.
wallace
Japan would be unable to ever join NATO unless the treaty is rewritten and resigned.
"They seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area.
They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security. They therefore agree to this North Atlantic Treaty :"*https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120.htm
rcch
Are you sure, Fumio(?)…; I know that no one’s gonna mess with Japan because of the US but if Japan joins NATO, no one’s gonna mess with Japan.
(Article 5 — an attack against one Ally is an attack against all Allies.)
JJE
Already a puppet with a master who pulls the strings.
Joining an alliance is completely unnecessary.
When this master says "jump", they say "how high?".
englisc aspyrgend
Brazil, an economy in problems and a loony left russia loving president. russia, a fossil fuel based economy with nothing else to offer rapidly losing its markets and its limited economy being destroyed by the actions of its own fascist government. India which is showing concerning signs of growing authoritarianism (I hope it doesn’t) and massive internal social and economic problems despite its potential. China, an aggressive, expansionist and deeply oppressive dictatorship with a penchant for genocide. South Africa, a country one of its own governing party MP’s has warned is in danger of becoming a failed state!
Yep, definitely a group Japan would want to join!
NATO has no interest in Japan joining it, nor does Japan seek or need to become a member. Working with for their mutual benefit and opening a local office to facilitate communication is an entirely different matter and is a sensible move.
JJE
JPN couldn't join BRICS.
It's not for "emerging economies"
Rather fast-growing economies that would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050, which rules out Tokyo.
Meiyouwenti
Japan joining the NATO may be a good idea. An attack on one NATO member country will automatically be considered an attack on all. That means if China attacked Japan, then all NATO members including the US would be at war with China. A much better deterrence than the US-Japan security treaty which requires approval from the US congress.
elephant200
A NATO office in Tokyo is good to plea for HELP. If China attacked Taiwan, the Japanese or Europeans can be lifted out of that island safe and let them calls their families through that channel.
JJE
Is the country going to pick itself up and move to the Atlantic Ocean?
cleo
World Union for Security and Peace - WUSP
Worldwide Accord for Mutual Defence - WAMP
Eastmann
NATO is relict of past,relict of cold war.
its should end as same time as Warsaw pact.
its is not some kind of peace loving organization but opposite-most agressive organization in recent world.if you are not agree ask people of Afghanistan,Libya,Syria,Iraq,Serbia...
Japan should stay neutral and stay peace loving nation.
Fredrik
PUTO, WUSP or WAMP... Why not call it the "Umbrella Corporation", to remind us that we are under the U.S. nuclear umbrella? Ok, it is not a corporation, but the name has the right ring to it.
Alan
It's time to join NATO, along with other countries like Finland etc,
With such a strong alliance China's and Russia's threats would look totally insignificant.
To be honest it's all propaganda anyway.
I dont feel no threat from these or North Korea.
North Korea just keep embarrassing themselves by firing stupid missiles into the sea
They must have a lot of money to keep doing this, considering most of the country is starving.
Let's join NATO and put an end to all the bullying
Clay
Good move, NATO's toxic, nearly entire Global South, Muslim Counties, India, China, etc., all consider NATO a War Monger. Besides Ukraine, consider Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, etc.?! What miserable failure of track record.
Modi, Xi, etc. all on record opposed to NATO eastward expansion in Europe, destabilizing entire world for what, Ukraine Membership? Kishida's wise to see the reality. Ukraine CIA leaked Intel, hugely damaging to Ukraine and NATO, not to mention many other endless wars.
NATO's proven itself time & again to not be defensive alliance, just opposite, joining NATO would be catastrophic mistake. Trusting idiots in DC, controlled by unknown corrupt special interests? That's RISKY!!
kaimycahl
@Michael Machida Your logic if twisted as always could suggest that join could be the first if you are looking at the last to be first and the first to become last!!
*Japan will join as soon as other Asian countries join. Japan is never the first and is always the last in anything on a global scale.*
kaimycahl
@FizzBit Are you serious? Saying Thank god Musk took Twitter out of their tool box. I guess you are happy with them being in a looney box ran by a looney!!!
Very smart call. The US and globalist elites are bent on dividing everyone from countries, to race to gender. Thank god Musk took Twitter out of their tool box.
Cogito Ergo Sum
Strictly Militarily speaking, everybody is in bed with everybody else or their partner, no need to be coy about it because there are ONLY two sides here, the NATO led side and the “ Against us” side. The other significant fence sitter is India... just.
theFu
Russia and China have nuclear weapons and space programs. They shouldn't be allowed to be listed as "developing nations" and gain WTO status which provide huge subsidies with programs like that. Same for India, BTW.
If you want WTO subsidies, no nuclear weapons and no military space program.
Peter14
NATO provides a more secure defense for its members than just having one ally even if that ally is America. NATO is America + 30 nations. I would much rather be in NATO, than not in it. Japan cant join as it has article 9 to contend with. See how Japan feels when that is amended or discarded. They will then have plans to join NATO.
wallace
Who can join NATO
wallace
NATO's "open door policy" is based upon Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, which states that membership is open to any "European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area".
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Who+can+join+NATO
Peter14
Anyone who qualifies for NATO, and will enhance the collective defense of its members.
NATO has a list of requirements for qualifying.
"New members must uphold democracy, including tolerating diversity. --New members must be making progress toward a market economy. --Their military forces must be under firm civilian control. --They must be good neighbors and respect sovereignty outside their borders."
Minimum Requirements for NATO Membership
https://1997-2001.state.gov/regions/eur/fs_members.html
TaiwanIsNotChina
The Russian Empire didn't consign itself to history with the breakup of the Soviet Union so clearly NATO is still needed until the job is done.
sethwright
We (Japan) should join NATO
JJE
Kishida is oddly being a little circumspect, evasive and is tiptoeing around the main issue which is actually the "NATO office" that is being opened - rather than trumpeting it with complete conviction like he did everything at the G7 recently. He makes it sound like the decision has nothing to do with him or the government; having a foreign military alliance open an "office" is just one of those everyday things like catching the train to work.
Two can play at that game: China may be invited to open an "office" in the Kuril Islands.
That would drive him and his 'Nippon Kaigi' pals absolutely bananas!
wallace
No NATO country has been at war with each other for 75 years.
UChosePoorly
Free Allied Forces Organization - FAFO
Samit Basu
Japan can't join NATO unless
1) Japan renounces claims on Southern Kurils.
2) Japan renounces claims on Liancourt Rock.
3) Japan returns the Diaoyu Islands to the Republic of China(Taiwan).
NATO requires all new member states to be free of outstanding territorial disputes. So Japan can't join NATO until the end of time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/22/natos-membership-rules-invite-conflict-benefit-putin/
Samit Basu
@OssanJapan
You mean NATO allows new members with outstanding territorial disputes like Japan so that wars with Russia and China is guaranteed?
wallace
Japan cannot join NATO period.
deanzaZZR
The Anpo treaty between the US and Japan doesn't even require Japan to come to the defense of the US if it's attacked. It's purely one-sided with the requirement that the US defend Japan.
And once again we are back to the question of a constitutional amendment.
TokyoLiving
In any case, Japan does not join NATO pirates. The fact of having a disastrous office shows that Japan continues to give away its sovereignty..
TokyoLiving
They may be emerging but they already have a higher GDP than G7circus..
Japan would be much better in the BRICS..
Stephen Chin
How can Japan situated in the north western Pacific join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Everything with NATO has been done by consensus. They could literally remove "Atlantic" from their name and charter with a consensus.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Only China has a gdp larger than the US, the G7+EU is about the same as BRICS, and the OECD is larger still.
Nobody wants to join a meaningless acronym. Especially ones filled with despots and basket cases.
Paul
My response, China's current and historic aggression is not welcome and Beijing should be extra cautious of military security!
voiceofokinawa
NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's a complete misnomer, however, for it
includes non-Atlantic countries like Italy, Greece, Turkey, and non-European countries like Canada and the U.S. Former Soviet bloc countries such as Albania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland have also joined it.
NATO seems to be taking the place of "the West" as against "the East", terms used during the Cold War. It's quite natural that Putin's Russia feels contained by this new, expanded NATO. This, I think, is a remote cause of the Ukrainian war now being fought.
桜川雪
Even the video games authors recognize a east pacific nation cannot join the north Atlantic treaty organization. Perhaps they could create an EPTO?
Dirk T
As the threat of China attempting to invade and hold Taiwan increases, so will Japanese interest in joining NATO. If you haven't noticed, Japan IS preparing for war.
Buncoqaq
The fact that the right-wing government, non-government, and corporate forces in the United States are so keen to promote neo-accelerationism is one of the results of the inability and lack of effectiveness of the left.
Temyong
This is a smart move for Japan because it would incite Russia just like what happened in Ukraine when NATO teased Russia of bringing NATO forces right to its border. Japan is sharing a border with Russia so joining NATO is a very bad idea.
opheliajadefeldt
Japan is already on its knees before its master, just EU countries, so officially joining makes no difference. How many 1000's of US troops are already in Japan, over 30,000, how many bases, over 100.
Matthew Shaw
Russia not being as strong as we were lead to believe makes it a little easier to say there isn't a need to join NATO but Russia has made it clear they will side with China in any conflict with Japan. Japan should let their people decide on applying to join NATO. I think dissuasions should start because it may force China and Russia to distance each other. Just make it clear that discussions have started because of the provocations Russia has made towards Japan . Japan joining NATO would probably bring more peace to the world because the larger the alliance the less likely and invasion of a NATO country increases. Japan and India are closer to each other than has been reported. A NATO base in Japan should be avoided but never say never, just announce it will be dependent on the actions made by Russia and never mention China. Not mentioning China will be key.