00:00Japan and Australia have doubled down on defense ties, but warn of security gaps in the Indo-Pacific.
00:07Even as the world's attention is focused on the Middle East,
00:10we must not allow a security vacuum to emerge in our own surrounding region and the Indo-Pacific.
00:17Koizumi was speaking at a meeting with Australia's defense minister in Tokyo on Wednesday,
00:21where they discussed the war on Iran's impact on U.S. security commitments in Asia.
00:26Washington has already redeployed some of its forces from Japan and South Korea to the Middle East.
00:31They also cited a North Korean ballistic missile launch earlier that day as an example of the challenges they face.
00:38The missile launch today of North Korea is a reminder of the challenges that we face in the Indo-Pacific
00:47and how important it is that countries of the Indo-Pacific maintain a focus on the challenges that we have
00:55here.
00:56Japanese Prime Minister Takeichi Sinai is set to visit Australia in a few weeks.
01:01Both countries plan to participate in joint U.S.-Philippines military exercises.
01:06For more on how Japan is boosting alliances around the region,
01:10our reporter Larry Isiano spoke to Taipei-based defense analyst Bryce Barros.
01:15There are reports that Japan intends to participate in this year's Blikatan exercises in the Philippines
01:19alongside the U.S. and other countries.
01:21What do you think this says about Japan's role in the Indo-Pacific region when it comes to security?
01:26Defense matters.
01:27It's deeply significant that Japan is participating in Blikatan for the first time using combat troops
01:34and for their first combat deployment to the Philippines since Japanese troops were expelled from the Philippines in 1945.
01:42It speaks to Japan's desire to want to shoulder more of the burden of first island chain security.
01:50And it's understanding that it needs to be able to operate and be interoperable with different forces along the first
01:59island chain.
02:00I would also look at from the Filipinos their own desire to want to continue to internationalize and diversify,
02:07at least under the Marcos administration, their list of partners around the region.
02:13Japan's prime minister is set to visit Vietnam and Australia next month.
02:17Are we seeing her shoulder more of the burden for security in the Indo-Pacific region?
02:21So I don't know if this actually speaks to Takeichi specifically,
02:25because Japan's been an observer for most of Blikatan's existence.
02:32And last year, it went from being an observer for the first time to being a participant.
02:37And that was before Takeichi came into office.
02:39What it could signal is the use of combat troops.
02:44So that's something I would definitely pay attention to as well.
02:48So Takeichi, you know, having that combat troops might be a little bit of that,
02:53but it was a trend that was moving that way.
02:55And, you know, plenty of other like-minded U.S. allies are really keen on it.
02:59There have been concerns in capitals across the Indo-Pacific region about U.S. forces being overcommitted and overstretched,
03:05perhaps distracted by the war with Iran, as well as broader U.S. commitments to the region's defenses.
03:10How real and credible do you think these concerns are?
03:13I think the things to keep an eye out for in terms of, quote-unquote, distraction in the Indo-Pacific
03:19is,
03:19I think for this exercise, you're probably going to see the number of Americans that you expect to have gone
03:25anyways.
03:25It would be useful to pay attention to any of the signs that would show how many U.S. troops
03:32have been deployed
03:33versus previous iterations of that same exercise.
03:36And if you look at what's happening in Iran, I mean, all different U.S. forces, including the Navy,
03:41are deeply engaged doing things.
03:44So what does that mean for the ability for them to participate in future exercises outside of Pakalatan?
03:48Which is why it's even more important for the Filipinos to invite more diverse partners.
03:54I do think that that would speak a lot to different parts of this region really trying to think of,
04:02OK, what do we have to do if the United States is not as involved, broadly speaking?
04:08I don't think it's fully there yet, but it's a possibility.
04:11And to not acknowledge that I think would also be wrong.
04:14That was defense analyst Bryce Barros.
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