Japanese party begins discussion on "Asian NATO" concept

The official discussion on the concept of forming an "Asian NATO" has begun within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

For this purpose, a special committee has been established at the party's headquarters, chaired by Head of the party's Political Council and former Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, Caliber.Az reports per Japanese media.

This committee was created under the instructions of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. He has been advocating for the creation of an "Asian NATO" since 2020 and actively promoted the idea during his campaign for the position of LDP leader and head of government in September 2024.

As part of the special committee's work, it is planned to hear and summarise expert opinions on this issue and prepare a report with recommendations. The timeline for its development has not been disclosed.      

Ishiba has not provided specific details about the concept of an “Asian version of NATO”. 

However, he stated that the foundation of this committee should be a military alliance between Washington and Tokyo, with the inclusion of several other countries from the region. Currently, the US, in addition to Japan, has bilateral defence agreements with South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

In the LDP, many people are skeptical about the idea of an "Asian version of NATO". Some people consider it unfeasible, pointing to the need for constitutional changes in Japan and the risk of escalating tensions with China. Beijing has consistently opposed any attempts to create a NATO-like structure in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov highlighted the risks associated with Japan's idea of creating an "Asian NATO". "Any militarisation, any ideas about forming military blocs always carry the risks of confrontation, which could escalate into an active phase," the diplomat said.

By Naila Huseynova