In a deepening of the two countries’ strategic alliance, a Marine regiment on Okinawa will be equipped with advanced capabilities, such as missiles that could be fired at Chinese ships.
Japan, already Washington’s most important ally in the Indo-Pacific, is deepening its strategic partnership with the United States in an effort to counter China — a development that will be showcased this week with a shake-up of U.S. Marine Corps units in Okinawa and a White House embrace of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
This is one of the most significant advances in U.S. force posture in the region in at least a decade, said the officials. “Japan is substantially improving its capacity, but also providing more capacity for the United States,” said the administration official. “This reflects a Japan that is much less ambivalent, a Japan that is prepared to play a more substantial role in its own defense.”
But the Kishida-Biden meeting is about “more than specific deliverables or topics,” it said. “It is a chance to take stock of the last year and how we have taken this alliance to unprecedented heights and what’s next.”Some policymakers, such as Rep. Mike Gallagher , chairman of the new Select Committee on China, are supportive but want to see more action.
Though the overall number of personnel assigned to Marine units on Okinawa will generally hold steady, at about 18,000, “it’s not just about the bodies, it’s about the capabilities,” the second official said. “They’ll move quicker. With more firepower.”
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