The U.S. and Japan unveiled a new pact aimed at overhauling the two countries’ security arrangements and paving the way for a more robust participation of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, missile defense and other military missions.
The agreement is the result of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to shed many of the limits placed on Japan’s armed forces under its postwar, pacifist constitution. The new guidelines were unveiled Monday at the start of Mr. Abe’s visit this week to the U.S., which will feature an address to Congress and meeting with President Barack Obama.
The agreement—called the Joint Defense Guidelines—comes as the U.S., Japan and other American allies in Asia look for ways to address China’s military modernization and its more aggressive territorial claims in the South and East China seas.
U.S. officials say the new agreement isn’t about China, but it is likely to be greeted skeptically by Beijing, which views the Abe administration’s military intentions with suspicion.
Zhu Haiquan, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the U.S.-Japan relationship “should not step outside bilateral boundaries” to undermine the interests of another country.
“We hope that relevant parties will make positive efforts to enhance mutual trust and promote common peace, stability in the region, rather than the opposite,” Mr. Zhu said.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the guidelines represent a historic transition for Japan and its alliance with the U.S. “Today, we mark the establishment of Japan’s capacity to defend not just its own territory but also the U.S. and other partners as needed,” he said, speaking in New York with other U.S. and Japanese officials. “The guidelines…will enhance Japan’s security, deter threats and contribute to regional peace and stability.”
U.S. officials said that most important, the new guidelines will remove any geographic limits on the Japanese forces, allowing Japan’s military—with permission of its parliament—to participate in defense operations around the globe.
Under the old guidelines, which have been revised periodically, Japanese and U.S. operations were primary focused on the defense of Japanese territories.
“The current guidelines are unrestricted with respect to geography,” said Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “That is a very big change—from being locally focused to globally focused.” He said there are a range of issues in the region and around the world on which the U.S. and Japan must cooperate.
“There is North Korea, for example, and deterrence of provocative behavior by North Korea,” Mr. Carter said. “That is an important joint effort of the alliance and one strengthened in many ways though the guidelines.”
Under the agreement, the two countries announced a new alliance coordination mechanism made up of officials from their diplomatic and defense departments as well as the military. “In peacetime and also in emergency situations between Japan and the United States, consultations will take place under this mechanism,” said Gen Nakatani, the Japanese minister of defense.
James Schoff, an expert on Japan and Asia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the guidelines eventually could allow the Japanese to be more involved in international missions, such as enforcing a U.N. blockade or arms embargo.
“This could be a very major change in the way that the alliance functions,” Mr. Schoff said. “It’s almost like buying a really big pair of pants, and you’re buying because you’re expecting to grow into them.”
U.S. and Japanese officials said many details of implementing the new guidelines will need to be worked out. Still, U.S. officials ticked off a range of areas the agreement will allow stepped up cooperation, including minesweeping around the globe, missile defense, and cyber and reconnaissance activities.
A Japanese official said a parliamentary debate in Japan over legislation to implement the reinterpretation of the pacifist constitution will further clarify what additional activities the self-defense forces can take on.
The new guidelines, U.S. officials said, also will allow more co-development and joint production, resulting in expanded sharing of military technology between the two countries.
While controversial in the region, where memories of Japanese aggression in World War II linger, the new guidelines will allow the Japanese Self-Defense Forces—with parliamentary approval— to aid American allies that come under attack.
“It means Japan can respond to attacks on third countries, not just the United States, if they are in close association with Japan and those attacks directly affect Japanese security,” a U.S. official said.
American allies in Asia were briefed on the new guidelines in Friday. On Monday senior U.S. officials met with Chinese defense officials to talk about the guidelines—attempting to assure them that they weren’t aimed at Beijing.
Zhu Haiquan, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said China would be closely watching the development of the new guidelines. The U.S.-Japan relationship, he said, “should not step outside bilateral boundaries” to undermine the interests of another country.
“We hope that relevant parties will make positive efforts to enhance mutual trust and promote common peace, stability in the region, rather than the opposite,” Mr. Zhu said.
—Felicia Schwartz contributed to this article.
Write to Julian E. Barnes at julian.barnes@wsj.com
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