Japan PM Suga reviews air defence troops, calls joint effort to develop new capabilities
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sits in fighter jet
Newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday reviewed the country's Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) troops in Iruma Air Base in Saitama prefecture.
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The Japanese prime minister in his address said that the defence forces should develop capabilities to tackle new battlefields in outer space, cyberspace and electromagnetic fields.
"It is getting more difficult for each organisation (Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces) to deal with separately," PM Suga said, adding, "It is important that we break barriers between ground, maritime and air self-Defense forces and tackle security challenges together."
Japan has been locked in a cold war with China over the East China Sea even as the two countries have begun engaging in high-level talks. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had recently visited Japan amid Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region.
Wang met PM Suga during his two-day visit to Tokyo as the foreign minister said Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to build "good working relations" with his Japanese counterpart. Wang asserted that his country would like to make the East China Sea "the sea of peace" in cooperation with Japan.
Japanese media had earlier reported it is ready to sign a defence pact with Australia amid growing threat from China's military power in the region.
Suga had visited Vietnam earlier as part of his first overseas trip since taking office last month and agreed to step up security and defence cooperation with an agreement in principle for Japan to export defence equipment and technology to Vietnam as it seeks to keep China influence in the South China Sea under control.
"The two sides agreed to tighten cooperation before regional challenges including the issue of the South China Sea," said Suga during his visit to Vietnam.