By Xu Haiyun
The strategic collusion between NATO and Japan has become normalized in recent years, spelling new uncertainties in the Asia-Pacific region. Not long ago, NATO signed an agreement known as an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with Japan for strengthening bilateral cooperation, and Japan has been enthusiastically colluding with the so-called defensive alliance to intervene in the regional affairs of the Asia-Pacific. Such moves will inevitably threaten the security situation in this region.
As a product of bloc confrontation during the Cold War, NATO has continued to expand and extend its tentacles to the distant Asia-Pacific region with ulterior motives. In 2021, NATO formulated the NATO 2030 agenda to promote a new strategic transformation, which shift its focus to great power competition and proposed to actively engage in global affairs, especially those within the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, NATO first invited the Japanese leader to attend the Madrid Summit, and Fumio Kishida became the first Japanese prime minister to attend such an event. In January 2023, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg paid a high-profile visit to Japan and reached a consensus with Tokyo to strengthen partnership. By strengthening ties with Japan, NATO hopes to take Japan as a springboard to manipulate Asia-Pacific affairs in a deeper, broader and more timely manner.
NATO's interference with the Asia-Pacific will not only invite military conflict and arms race risks in the region, but also compel some countries to deviate from the principle of independence and incite bloc confrontation within the area. The vast majority of Asia-Pacific countries is concerned and remains vigilant in this regard. However, Japan, which geographically belongs to the same region, is acting as a cat's paw to create an "Asia-Pacific version of NATO". In history, Japan had gone astray into militarism, waged devastating wars of aggression and expansion, and committed brutal crimes against humanity, bringing untold disasters to the region and the world. With an attempt to accelerate national military expansion by the power of the West, the Kishida government is constantly colluding with the US-led NATO and actively pushing NATO's expansion to the Asia-Pacific region, which is tantamount to inviting the wolf into the house.
NATO has repeatedly stated that its position as a regional alliance has not changed and that it does not seek a geographical breakthrough. The Asia-Pacific lies beyond the geographical scope of the north Atlantic. However, under the leadership of the US, NATO has continuously reinforced relations with Japan and other countries and meddled in Asia-Pacific affairs, which has already caused divergence within the alliance. French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken out against the establishment of a NATO liaison office in Japan, believing that NATO does not need to be overly involved in the Asia-Pacific as it has no special interests there. NATO's intervention in the Asia-Pacific affairs will not only create turbulence and confrontation in the region, but also force the European member states of NATO to show a tough stance in these affairs, thus affecting their normal economic and cultural exchanges with the regional countries. Suffering from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, many European member states of NATO are reluctant to be caught in the vortex of bloc confrontation again. If the US insists on leading NATO to intervene in Asia-Pacific affairs, the disagreement within the organization will be further aggravated.
The Asia-Pacific is a promising land of cooperation and development rather than a chessboard for geopolitical games, and should not be threatened by hegemonism. Japan should earnestly draw lessons from history and refrain from undermining regional peace and stability.
(The author is a professor at School of History, Renmin University of China)
