Japan’s defense minister vowed on Saturday to bolster the country’s deterrence capabilities and boost its alliance with the United States, citing Japan’s position as a frontline opponent of “rule-flouting actors.” Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that Japan is at the frontline of “a competition” between countries defending the…

Japan’s Defense Minister said on May 10 that Chinese fighter jets have taken off and landed on an aircraft carrier more than 100 times in the past week while sailing near the southwestern prefecture of Okinawa. The takeoffs took place in waters between 160 kilometers (99 miles) southwest of Okinawa’s Okidaito Island and 150 kilometers…

Japan’s defense minister Nobuo Kishi said Wednesday that he would not rule out the option to conduct pre-emptive airstrikes on enemy bases because the country has reserved the right to do so. During a parliamentary lower house budget panel hearing, Kishi said that such attacks “would fall within the scope of self-defense,” although it would…