Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has begun formal discussions on the concept of forming an ‘Asian NATO’. A special committee chaired by the head of the party’s political council, former defence minister Itsunori Onodera, has started its work, Yomiuri newspaper reported.
The working group on the creation of ‘Asian NATO’ was created at the behest of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The idea of creating a new version of the North Atlantic Alliance Japanese Prime Minister expressed since 2020 and actively promoted during the campaign before his election as leader of the LDP and head of government in September this year. The ad hoc committee is expected to hear and summarise expert opinions on the issue and prepare a report with recommendations.
Ishiba did not give details of the concept of ‘Asian NATO’, but, according to him, the basis of this structure should be a military alliance between Washington and Tokyo with the involvement of some other countries in the region. Currently, the US, in addition to Japan, has bilateral defence agreements with South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The Yomiuri publication notes that many in the LDP are sceptical of the idea of a new version of NATO. Some consider it difficult to realise, pointing to the need for changes in the Japanese Constitution and the danger of escalating confrontation with China. Beijing, in turn, opposes any attempts to form a NATO-like organisation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western ideas of a new world order hypocrisy. According to him, they are aimed solely at preserving the neo-colonial system, showing their essence in the form of ‘hypocrisy, double standards and claims’.
