The Pentagon's No. 3 official has lauded Japan’s latest defense white paper — but that praise was couched in language suggesting the Trump administration will continue to push Tokyo to hike defense spending even further. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/japan/politics/us-china-japan-defense-white-paper/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #pla #defense #defenseministry #sdf #defenseministry #usjapanrelations #us #elbridgecolby #donaldtrump #budgets
The government has appointed Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura as the next chief of staff of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff — a key post that will work closely with the Self-Defense Force’s new Joint Operations Command. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/15/japan/society/japan-sdf-chief-of-staff/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #defense #defenseministry #china #sdf
The international community has entered “a new era of crisis” amid China’s growing military assertiveness and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific policies, Japan’s new annual defense report says. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/15/japan/politics/japan-defense-white-paper-2025/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #defenseministry #sdf #china #taiwan #pla #us #usmilitary #budgets #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations
The Pentagon is urging Japan to make clear the role it would play in the event of a U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan, a report has said, with the U.S. Defense Department’s No. 3 official appearing to confirm the push. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/13/japan/us-japan-taiwan-contingency/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #taiwanjapanrelations #usjapanrelations #china #pla #taiwan #sdf #defense #donaldtrump #elbridgecolby #defenseministry #indopacific
Chinese fighter jets twice risked collisions with Air Self-Defense Force surveillance aircraft, Tokyo said, coming within 30 meters of the planes over the East China Sea on Wednesday and Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/10/japan/china-japan-aircraft-encounter/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #chinajapanrelations #china #defense #defenseministry #sdf #asdf #pla #senkakus #disputedislands #eastchinasea
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 aircraft, the first domestic patrol aircraft, is underused mainly due to engine corrosion and problems with electronic devices, a probe has found. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/28/japan/japan-patrol-aircraft-underused/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #defenseministry #sdf #china #msdf #pla
Japan is boosting its Self-Defense Forces' presence in Okinawa Prefecture amid China's increasing military activities, sparking concerns among locals and across the political spectrum. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/25/japan/sdf-war-okinawa/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #okinawa #sdf #wwii #china #taiwan #defenseministry #defense