Former Head of Japan's Self-Defense Forces Advocates: Japan-US Security Scope Should Expand to Guam, and Nuclear Weapons Should Be Deployed in Japan
On October 30 local time, Katsutoshi Kawano, former Chief of the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, told Nikkei Asia that the joint defense obligations under the Japan-US security alliance should be extended beyond Japan's territory, including Guam. His comments were a response to US President Trump's criticism of the US-Japan Security Treaty as "unfair."
Kawano, who once served as the Chief of the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, equivalent to the chief of staff, and the highest-ranking military official at the Ministry of Defense, stated in the interview that Trump's view stemmed from the idea that "the United States will help Japan in a crisis, but Japan will not help the United States in a crisis."
In addition, Kawano also hyped up the necessity of establishing a nuclear weapons sharing mechanism, under which US nuclear weapons would be deployed on Japanese soil. He claimed, "A framework should be established so that Japan can participate in decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons."
Nikkei Asia pointed out that the current Japan-US security treaty applies only to territories under Japanese jurisdiction, and Japan has no obligation to support the US outside this scope. In contrast, the treaty forming the basis of the US-South Korea alliance stipulates that if one party's territory in the Pacific is attacked, the other party will take action to "address a common danger."
However, Japan established a legal basis for limited exercise of collective self-defense rights in 2015. Kawano believes that the defensive obligations of the Japan-US security treaty should extend to the Western Pacific, including Guam - an island where the US has a major military base.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847511814473732/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.