Speech by Minister of Defense Inada at IRSEM (The Institute for Strategic Research) Volatile Global Security Environment and Japan-Europe Defense Cooperation January 6, 2017 [Introduction] I would like to thank Dr. Jeangène Vilmer and every one from IRSEM as well as the French Ministry of Defence for giving me an opportunity to speak here in Paris today. It is a great pleasure to be able to visit Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, at the beginning of the year. I have visited Europe on numerous occasions, but this is my first visit since I took office as the Minister of Defense last August. In 2013, I visited Paris as the Minister in charge of Cool Japan Strategy. During my visit, I attended a Japanese cultural event called Tokyo Crazy Kawaii Paris and highlighted a part of Japan s pop culture by dressing up in Gothic Lolita fashion. I had heard that France has many 1 / 15
fans of Japanese pop culture such as manga and anime, but I was both surprised and extremely proud to witness such high interest. This time, I refrained from wearing Gothic Lolita since I am the Defense Minister. Today, what I would like to convey as the Japanese Defense Minister is first, that the security environment surrounding Europe and East Asia is becoming increasingly severe, and second, that strengthening cooperation in the security and defense fields between Japan and European countries including France has never been more important than today. How we can strengthen this security and defense cooperation between Japan and France will be the main topic at the third Japan-France Foreign and Defense Ministerial 2+2 Meeting, to be held here in Paris this afternoon. I had a deep discussion with Defense Minister Le Drian on this topic last night, and I also confirmed the importance of promoting Japan-NATO cooperation with 2 / 15
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg in Brussels before arriving in Paris. [Volatile Regional and Global Security Environment] Before talking about why the need for further security and defense cooperation between Japan and Europe is increasing, let me briefly touch upon what kind of regional and global security environment we are living in. In both of the cities I visited this time, Paris and Brussels, many innocent lives have been taken away by hideous terrorist attacks in the last few years. Such vicious acts of terror can never be justified by any reason and are a challenge to the peace and prosperity which is a universal value of mankind. I express my deepest condolences to all the victims and their families. Violent extremism led by ISIL is giving rise to such terrorist attacks that are disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens. Those groups are also intensifying their activities at their hubs in the Middle East, in North Africa, and in other politically unstable 3 / 15
regions with weak governance. The increasing possibility of those groups obtaining weapons of mass destruction also remains a serious concern for the international community. Furthermore, recent technological advances have enabled mankind to expand our activities to outer space and cyberspace but at the same time exposed us to new types of risks and threats. While there is a need to tackle these new threats, traditional state centric security challenges also remain today. It could be said, for instance, that the situation surrounding Ukraine is one of the biggest challenges that Europe has faced since the end of the Cold War. And the Syrian crisis is a pressing humanitarian plight, endangering the stability of not only the Middle East and Europe but also the whole international community. The security situation in the Asia Pacific is also becoming increasingly severe. Ignoring warnings from the 4 / 15
international community, North Korea pushed ahead with two nuclear tests and launched more than 20 ballistic missiles last year alone. I believe that the threat posed by such military actions to the region and the world has entered a new stage. Attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and the South China Sea is also a matter of mutual concern for the international community. In the East China Sea, the continuing intrusion of government vessels into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku islands is a grave concern. With regard to problems in the South China Sea including reclamation and building of outposts, Japan welcomes dialogue between ASEAN and China. However, dialogue should be conducted based on international law and under the premise that demilitarization of the South China Sea and self-restraint should be ensured. I hope to see a peaceful resolution of the disputes in the South China Sea, with related parties abiding by the principles of international law including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 5 / 15
(UNCLOS). I strongly believe that the concept of the rule of law has served as one of the foundations of today s international order. Of course, it is quite natural for any country to pursue its own national interests. But if a country does so forcefully without following rules including international law, interests will inevitably collide, and might conceivably escalate into an armed conflict. The rule of law is necessary not only in realizing a fair and equitable society but it is also essential in maintaining order in the international community where states coexist in friendship under equal sovereignty. [Enhancing Cooperation with Allies and Partner Nations] I would also like to emphasize that in today s global security environment, it no longer is possible for a country to protect itself on its own. What is needed today is not for countries to look inward but for countries to work together 6 / 15
based on a healthy principle of international cooperation. Japan has been following the path of a peace-loving nation for over 70 years since the end of World War II. As we move forward on this path, Japan is also expected to play an even more proactive role based on the principle of international cooperation today. Recognizing this, the Legislation for Peace & Security was enacted in Japan last year. Japan has been contributing to the peace and stability of the international community through various international peace cooperation activities. About 350 personnel of Japan s Ground Self Defense Force engineering unit are currently dispatched to UNMISS in South Sudan, playing an important role in maintaining world peace. At the end of last year, a Japanese engineer unit dispatched to UNMISS was newly tasked with the duty to come to the aid of geographically distant units or personnel under attack, which was enabled under the Legislation on Peace and 7 / 15
Security. Japan is determined to further contribute to global peace and stability under the banner of proactive contributions to peace based on the principle of international cooperation. To deal with these complex, global security challenges, it is important for a country to cooperate with allies and partner nations while improving its defense capability. Soon a new administration will take office in the United States, but the fact that the Japan-U.S. alliance serves as the pillar of Japan s security policy remains unchanged. I also understand that, for Europe, NATO is an important alliance system that connects Europe and the United States. It is critically important for both Europe and Japan that the United States continues to promote global peace and stability as the central player in the international community. Japan and Europe share values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights. Although we speak a 8 / 15
different language, we speak from the same mind. In this manner, it could be said that it is inevitable for Japan and Europe, which share fundamental values and possess the will and the power to contribute to the peace and stability of the world, to cooperate hand-in-hand to deal with these common challenges. I believe that strengthening the cooperation between Europe and Japan will complement both of our relationships with the United States and form a linchpin for maintaining international order. [Future of Europe-Japan Defense Cooperation] Japan and Europe have been promoting substantive security and defense cooperation in various fields, including joint training, defense equipment and technology, and cyber-security. When Prime Minister Abe made a speech at the North Atlantic Council of NATO in 2014, he mentioned that Japan and NATO are more than simply natural partners that share fundamental values. He emphasized that we are also reliable partners 9 / 15
corroborated by concrete actions. I felt the same conviction when I met NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg during my visit to Brussels. One example of the cooperation between Japan, NATO, and the EU is the anti-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. When Japan, NATO, and the EU had just begun our anti-piracy activities in 2009, there were more than 200 piracy related incidents and more than 800 detained personnel a year. The next year, in 2010, the number of detained personnel rose to over 1000. However, with concerted efforts by the international community, including Japan and Europe, the number of incidents fell to only one, with zero hijacked ships and detained personnel in 2016. This is something that could not have been achieved by one country alone. It is the result of close coordination between the partner nations. Japan has also been promoting defense cooperation with each European country. In the last few years, our defense 10 / 15
cooperation and exchanges have especially seen significant progress with France. While developing frameworks for cooperation and dialogue, such as the Information Security Act, the Agreement on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and the 2 + 2 meeting, we have been promoting substantive cooperation in a wide range of areas, including joint training, defense equipment and technology, unit-to-unit exchanges, space and cyberspace. France is a member of Europe, but it is also a Pacific nation. It is the only European country that has a permanent military presence in the Asia Pacific region, with bases in New Caledonia and French Polynesia. From 2014, the Self-Defense Forces has been participating in the multinational exercise on HA/DR and other areas in the Pacific hosted by the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia. The speech that Defense Minister Le Drian gave at the Shangri La Dialogue last year was quite noteworthy. While 11 / 15
emphasizing the importance of peaceful resolution of conflicts based on the rule of law, Minister Le Drian stressed that the situation in the South China Sea directly affects Europe, not just in the interest of Europe s economy but because it pertains to the responsible multilateralism which Europe should uphold. Having said this, Minister Le Drian mentioned that he will make a proposal to the European navies to coordinate to ensure a regular and visible presence in Asia. I believe this is a sign of France s dignity as a great power and I feel encouraged as a member of the Asia Pacific facing the problem surrounding the South China Sea. Our defense cooperation with the UK has also advanced remarkably over the last few years. Last year, Typhoon squadron from the UK visited Japan and held a joint exercise with the Air Self-Defense Force. It was the first ever exercise in which the Air Self-Defense Force conducted a joint training in Japan with a country other 12 / 15
than the U.S., raising Japan-UK defense cooperation to the next level. Increased engagement in the Asia Pacific region with such countries as France and the UK that uphold the rule of law has a significant meaning, and Japan very much welcomes this. When I visited Paris three years ago as the Minister in charge of Cool Japan Strategy, I called for more people to visit Japan as part of the Visit Japan Campaign. I did not think that I would be stressing the same thing as a Minister of Defense. We are also strengthening our defense cooperation with other European countries. With regard to Germany, we are promoting defense exchanges at various levels and in different areas, such as Japan s Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff visiting Germany for the first time last year. With the Netherlands, we signed a memorandum on defense cooperation and exchanges when the Defense Minister visited Japan last December for the first time in 12 years. 13 / 15
This is just a coincidence, but the defense ministers of Germany and the Netherlands, whom I just mentioned, both happen to be women, like me. I am encouraged to see women serving important roles in the area of security and defense. [Conclusion] In conclusion, we have seen great progress in the defense cooperation between Japan and Europe in the last few years. But I think we can say that this relationship has just begun. Globalization has given rise to new threats that transcend borders. But at the same time, it has connected like-minded nations and people across the globe. While creating new challenges, globalization has also created new ways to tackle those challenges. Because we share fundamental values, even with geographic distance separating the two regions, there is much more room for further cooperation between Japan and Europe. 14 / 15
Japan and Europe both have long histories and both value traditions. But at the same time, we must not be immobilized by those traditions. We are also capable of creating new traditions in response to the changing environment. I look forward to deepening our cooperation with European countries to protect the tradition of the rule of law that serves as the basis of today s order and create new frameworks for cooperation. Thank you for your attention. [END] 15 / 15