US and Japan express concern over China’s ‘aggressive actions’ during Blinken

Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with their counterparts in Tokyo for a series of bilateral talks and a joint “2+2” session, marking the first international trip by Biden Cabinet officials.

“We believe in democracy and human rights, the rule of law, because we’ve seen how our own countries are stronger because we adhere to those values. And because they’re under threat in many places, including in this region,” Blinken said during a joint news conference in Tokyo, pointing to the recent military coup and mass protests in Myanmar as an example.

Speaking to reporters, Austin said that China had spent the past two decades modernizing its military while the US had been focused on the Middle East. “So our goal is to make sure that we maintain a competitive edge over China, or anyone else that would want to threaten us or our alliance,” he said. “And that we developed the operational plans and capabilities to be able to deter any aggressor.”

The strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific has changed in the past few years, said Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in both military capability and in the balance of power.

“(The) free and open international order is greatly challenged by attempts to change the status quo by force and progress of authoritarian system,” Motegi said.

He said Washington and Tokyo “agreed that China’s actions, which are not consistent with the existing international order, are presenting various issues against the Japan-US alliance and international society.”

Motegi said the US and Japan “oppose any attempts to alter the status quo in the area including East China Sea and South China Sea, and shared a serious concern regarding China’s Coast Guard Law,” referring to a Chinese law enacted in February that allows its Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels entering disputed South China Sea waters.

Motegi also said the US had reconfirmed its commitment to help Japan defend the Senkakus, a string of disputed islands in the East China Sea which China calls the Diayous and claims as its own.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that the exchanges between the US and Japan should help increase mutual understanding and trust among countries in the region and “not target or undermine the interests of any third party.”

Myanmar and North Korea on the agenda

Blinken and Motegi “condemned the coup and use of violence in Burma, expressed concern over the expansion of authoritarian and aggressive actions by the People’s Republic of China, and agreed to strengthen like-minded coordination across these issues,” according to the US State Department statement.