Countering China Threat... Intensified US-Japan Joint Military Exercises

Assuming Threats in Senkaku and Taiwan Strait... Deployment of Largest Scale Forces

(Photo by U.S. Department of Defense)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] An analysis has emerged that the annual joint military exercises conducted by the United States and Japan last month were based on the assumption of Chinese threats to the Senkaku Islands and the Taiwan Strait.

On the 9th, Huang Enhao, Associate Researcher at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense think tank, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), stated this while analyzing the US-Japan annual joint military exercise "Orient Shield-21" in the "Defense and Security Biweekly."

The Orient Shield exercise, conducted by the US Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force across Japan from June to July, mobilized the largest number of troops ever, with 1,600 from the US and 3,000 from Japan. According to the US Department of Defense, this was the largest deployment of troops to Japan to support army training since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two forces conducted long-range precision firing, air and integrated air defense operations, fleet movements, and chemical response training throughout Japan.

Although the exercise did not specify a virtual enemy, Associate Researcher Huang explained that based on the nature of the training, it is presumed to be a response to China's military expansion.

He further interpreted that the content of this exercise is moving toward the defense operations of Japan's island defense and the US's first island chain, a military containment line against China.

Huang analyzed, "The southward shift of the US-Japan defense line helps maintain safety in the Taiwan Strait and, in case of emergency, can support Taiwan's defense."

He particularly noted that the core of the Orient Shield exercise, which ended on the 11th of last month, took place near the Ryukyu Islands about 850 km from Taiwan, and that Japan's Defense White Paper released on the 13th of the same month stated, "Stability of the situation surrounding Taiwan is important for Japan's security and international community stability," which is related to this.

Taiwanese media reported that during this exercise, the US Army fired the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) from Japan for the first time.

Earlier, in early July, China claimed that the Senkaku Islands, a disputed territory effectively controlled by Japan, and Taiwan are its own territory and urged not to exaggerate the "China threat theory."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.