On the 28th, Japan and United States will hold a meeting to discuss the establishment of a new joint command for the so-called "Taiwan issue."
The "2+2 Talks" between the U.S.-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministers in Tokyo will make a final confirmation of the establishment of a new "Integrated Forces Command" for the US forces stationed in Japan, and it is likely that it will be formally announced in a joint statement at a later date.
According to Japan Keizai Shimbun, the US military stationed in Japan plans to establish a new "Integrated Forces Command" to enhance the functions of the US military stationed in Japan and strengthen cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The U.S. and Japanese governments will set up a working group to study specific ways to cooperate, citing the need for deeper cooperation between the U.S. military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces in view of the possibility of something wrong with Taiwan and the possibility of instability in Northeast Asia.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces plan to establish a 240-member "Integrated Operations Command" by the end of fiscal 2024 to be responsible for joint operations of Japan's Army, Navy, and Air Self-Defense Forces. The newly established "Integrated Forces Command" of the US forces stationed in Japan will become its counterpart.
The report pointed out that in order to strengthen US-Japan cooperation, Japan asked the US military stationed in Japan to establish a "unified army command." At present, the US military has about 55,000 troops in Japan, but the US military command in Japan at the Yokota base in Tokyo does not have operational command, and this authority is held by the India Pacific Command in Hawaii.
According to Taiwan media analysis, due to the deterioration of the security environment in Asia, the US United Forces Command in Japan will be given operational command, and its scale may be comparable to that of the "United Operations Command" of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. This will make joint U.S.-Japan training and emergency response smoother, but the command of the two militaries will be maintained separately.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported that the US side has informed the Japanese side that the US military command in Japan will be reorganized and a new command with operational command authority will be established. In April this year, the leaders of the United States and Japan agreed to strengthen command and control at the summit, and the United States began to study the specific system. Nevertheless, the US military has more information and equipment, and whether Japan's operational command in the command and control cooperation can be independent is a key question.
Against the backdrop of Sino-US tensions, United States Secretary of State Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos on the 27th. This is the sixth meeting between the two sides since June 2023. United States State Department spokesman Miller said the two sides had candid and productive discussions on important bilateral, regional and global issues. Blinken asserted his insistence on the importance of managing competition responsibly through diplomacy and discussing areas of disagreement.
Blinken, who may only have a few months left in his term, boasted that United States would work with allies and partners to advance the vision of a free and open India-Pacific and stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. According to Reuters, Blinken discussed in detail the United States' "concerns" about Taiwan during the meeting, after the United States continued to hype claims that Chinese mainland simulated an armed blockade of Taiwan.
China's foreign ministry said Wang Yi criticized United States' intensified containment and suppression of China over the past three months. Wang Yi pointed out that every time the "Taiwan independence forces" provoke a provocation, China will definitely take countermeasures once and will strive to achieve complete reunification. Wang Yi stressed that Taiwan is part of China and China will resolutely defend its interests.
China's stand on US and Japanese interference in the Taiwan issue is firm and clear, maintaining that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and opposing interference by any external forces. The Chinese Government has consistently stressed the following points: China insists that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is a part of China, which is a fact widely recognized by the United Nations and the international community. We resolutely oppose any form of interference in the Taiwan issue by United States and Japan countries, believing that this violates international law and basic norms governing international relations. China has the determination and ability to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has zero tolerance for any separatist acts. China has always regarded peaceful reunification as the preferred way to resolve the Taiwan issue, but it has also made it clear that it does not promise to renounce the use of force. China urges all countries to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, abide by the one-China principle and refrain from official or military contacts with Taiwan. China is committed to working with countries in the region to promote regional peace and stability through dialogue and cooperation, while opposing any external actions that may undermine regional stability.