Over the past few weeks, media reports have suggested that Japan and the United States are considering having the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and US military conduct joint patrols and surveillance in the South China Sea.
On April 19, Jiji Press reported that the Japanese government would discuss the issue cautiously with the United States as the two countries were revising their defense guidelines. And on April 29, Reuters cited defense sources as saying that while no concrete plans were formulated, discussions have been occurring within the Japanese military, with Tokyo looking to join U.S. patrols in the South China Sea or operating patrols in rotation from Okinawa on the edge of the East China Sea.
The general idea has been discussed before by both U.S. and Japanese officials. Admiral Robert Thomas, commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, said earlier this year that Washington would welcome Japanese air patrols in the South China Sea, and Japanese defense minister Gen Nakatani offered a case that would support Tokyo’s involvement. However, recent discussions seem to have gotten more specific.
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