Japan and South Korea upgrade defence pact to counter China and North Korea

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu Back decided on Friday to step up personnel exchanges between their forces amid mounting regional security challenges.At the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) base in Koizumi’s hometown of Yokosuka, near Tokyo, the two agreed to hold annual reciprocal visits, as ties between the Asian neighbours have continued to improve in recent years.“We opened the door for a new level of defence exchanges between Japan and South Korea,” Koizumi said at the start of the meeting, which he noted was the first between defence ministers to be held in Yokosuka.They also reaffirmed the importance of advancing trilateral cooperation with the United States, with security threats growing from China and North Korea.Among the pressures on regional stability is Beijing’s stance on Taiwan; which sees the island as part of its territory and has not ruled out reunification by force. Many countries, including the US, do not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state but oppose the use of force to change the status quo.Adding to these tensions, Pyongyang continues to bolster its military capabilities through closer ties with Russia and continues missile development.