Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Takanami-class destroyer takes part in a US-Japan joint exercise.

日本海上自卫队高波级驱逐舰参加美日联合演习。

By Wen Weiru

文威入

According to Japanese media reports, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) recently participated in the joint space exercise held by NATO for the first time, which represented a microcosm of Japan's constant reinforcement of military cooperation with NATO in recent years. Analysts pointed out that Japan is expanding its military partnership by establishing regular consultation mechanisms, concluding bilateral military agreements and participating in multilateral joint military exercises, in a bid to lay the groundwork for achieving its strategic maneuvers.

据日本媒体报道，日本自卫队近日首次参加北约组织的联合太空演习，这是日本近年来不断强化与北约军事合作的一个缩影。分析人士指出，日本正通过建立定期协商机制、签署双边军事协定、参与多边联合军事演习等方式，扩大军事伙伴关系网，为实现战略企图铺路奠基。

Stepping up building bilateral mechanisms

加紧建立双边机制

At present, Japan has established the communication and sharing mechanism for military intelligence exchange by signing the Agreement on the Security of Information with 13 countries and organizations. The country has also signed or will sign the Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology with 15 countries to set up a channel for its weaponry export and military technology transfer. Moreover, Japan has entered into or will soon enter into the Reciprocal Access Agreements with Australia, the UK, France and the Philippines to facilitate joint military operations and logistical cooperation with these countries.

目前，日本与13个国家和组织签署《情报保护协定》，确立了军事情报交换的沟通及共享机制；与15个国家签署或将签署《防卫装备品和技术转移协定》，为日本的武器装备出口和军事技术转让开辟通道；与澳大利亚、英国、法国和菲律宾签署或将签署《互惠准入协定》，为日本与这些国家之间的联合军事行动和后勤合作提供便利。

Among them, the Reciprocal Access Agreements, as a key component of Japan's overseas military cooperation, replace legal procedures with agreed provisions to streamline the jurisdictional concerns associated with the entry of relevant individuals into the counterpart countries, such as entry and exit, arms carrying, personnel jurisdiction and the right of self-defense. It is commented that the agreements have envisaged the JSDF's future medium to long-term deployments overseas.

其中，《互惠准入协定》作为日本对外军事合作的关键组成部分，通过约定条款替代法律程序，简化了相关人员进入对方国家时涉及的管辖权问题，如出入境、武器携带、人员管辖和自卫权利等。有评论认为，该协定已对日本自卫队未来在海外的中长期部署进行预设。

Manifesting new tendency in military cooperation

军事合作显现新趋势

Analysts pointed out that Japan's overseas military cooperation also reveals three emerging trends.

分析人士指出，日本对外军事合作还显现3个新趋势。

First, it becomes more proactive in overseas military support. The Japanese government set up the Official Security Assistance (OSA) military assistance system in 2023 claiming to provide defense equipment for the so-called "like-minded" countries, and has presently supplied surveillance and communication apparatus to the Philippines, Fiji and other countries.

一是在对外军事支援方面更主动。2023年，日本政府设立“政府安全保障能力强化支援”（OSA）军事援助制度，号称要为“志同道合的国家”提供防卫装备，目前已向菲律宾、斐济等提供监视及通信器材。

Second, its definition of bilateral cooperation is more inclusive. Besides promoting bilateral cooperation with individual countries, it also seeks to establish regular military cooperation relationship with military coalitions like NATO.

二是对双边合作的定义更宽泛，除推动与单一国家的双边合作外，还寻求与北约这样的军事联盟建立常态化的军事合作关系。

Third, it has a more dynamic involvement in multilateral mechanisms. In recent years, Japan has been keen to play a role in the Quad among the US, Japan, India and Australia under the guise of the so-called "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy, in an attempt to influence the regional security order. Japan also stated to consider enrolling in the trilateral security partnership framework of AUKUS among the US, the UK and Australia recently.

三是对多边机制的参与更“积极”。近年来，日本以“推动实现自由开放的印太”为幌子，热衷于在美日印澳“四国机制”中发挥作用，试图影响地区安全秩序。近期，日本还表示考虑加入“奥库斯”（AUKUS）美英澳三边安全伙伴关系框架。

Catering to US strategic intentions

迎合美国战略企图

Japan's promotion of establishing military cooperation with multiple countries and organizations through various levels and dimensions aims at achieving the following military objectives.

日本多层次、多维度地推动与多个国家和组织建立军事合作关系，目的是实现以下军事企图。

First, it intends to foster support for breaking the restrictions of the pacifist constitution in the future by strengthening military cooperation with the US and its traditional allies. The increasing participation in the military activities and joint exercises by the JSDF will enhance the acceptance of the involved parties towards the military “normalization” of Japan, thus creating the underpinning for mitigating opposition to its future revision of the pacifist constitution and capture of full military control.

首先，通过与美国及其传统盟友加强军事合作，为未来突破和平宪法的限制积攒“人脉”。随着日本自卫队参与的军事活动和联合演练增多，将提升相关各方对日本军事“正常化”的接受度，为日本政府未来修改和平宪法、获得完整军事权时减少反对声音奠定基础。

Second, it wants to facilitate regular overseas operations of the JSDF and build the force as outward-oriented troops by evading domestic legal restrictions. With the establishment of increasing bilateral mechanisms, Japan can expand the scope of military deployment to encompass multiple countries and regions, thus forging the basis for its maintenance of a regular overseas military presence in the future.

其次是绕开国内法律限制，促使自卫队常态化“走出去”，将其打造为“外向型”军队。随着越来越多的双边机制建立，日本能够将军事部署范围扩展至多个国家和地区，为日后常态化维持海外军事存在奠定基础。

Third, Japan is zeroing in on Southeast Asian and South Asian countries including the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh, aiming to shake off the arms export restrictions by reaching the Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology.

再次，日本瞄准菲律宾、印度尼西亚和孟加拉国等东南亚及南亚国家，通过签署《防卫装备品和技术转移协定》摆脱武器出口限制。

For the past few years, Japan has obediently acted as a strategic bridgehead within the strategic framework defined by the US to introduce non-regional countries into the East Asia and even the Western Pacific, wooing and instigating the UK, Germany, France and other countries to be involved in the regional security affairs, with a view to disrupting the existing regional order and development pace and capitalizing on the opportunity to fish for its profits and vie for the so called regional competitive edges.

近年来，日本在美国定义的战略框架内，甘愿成为引导域外国家进入东亚乃至西太平洋地区的战略“桥头堡”，拉拢并怂恿英国、德国、法国等参与该地区的安全事务，旨在打乱地区现有的秩序和发展节奏，并借机渔利，争夺所谓的地区竞争优势。

According to analysts, Japan is primarily promoting the establishment of bilateral military cooperation relationships with multiple countries at this stage and does not rule out the possibility of building a broad and interwoven military alliance on the basis of its military partnership network centered on the Japan-US alliance in the future. The relevant movements are deserving of sustained observation.

分析人士指出，日本现阶段主要推动与多国建立双边军事合作关系，未来不排除其在以日美同盟为中心的军事伙伴网基础上，构建一个广泛、相互交织的军事联盟的可能性，有关动向值得持续关注。