Japan's New National Security Policy and Defense Strategy in a New Era

The security environment in Northeast Asia is changing dramatically and rapidly. Even more concerning than the North Korea issue is China's strengthening of military power and activity. The author, a member of the House of Representatives of the National Diet of Japan and two-term Minister of Defense until October 2018, discusses recent developments in the region in terms of new methods of warfare, competition for technological hegemony, and Japan's defense program. The article analyzes key relationships in the region, including the US-China relationship, the Japan-China relationship, and the Japan-Korea relationship and provides the author's views of how best to manage these relationships in the mid- to long-term. This article is based on remarks delivered on March 6, 2019 for US-Japan LINK, a non-profit organization based in Tokyo.