A new armada? #jsdf #usmilitary #usandjapan #usforces

A new armada is taking shape in the form of US and Japanese forces modernization. The international rules-based order that served the world well, is under attack and the United States and Japan need to work even closer together to defend, maintain and strengthen the order, Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs said. Ratner spoke remotely to the Mount Fuji Dialogue — an annual meeting of experts on the U.S.-Japan Alliance in Tokyo. The most egregious attack on the rules-based international order emanates from the other side of the world from Japan with Russia's unprovoked and evil attack on Ukraine. He said the attack has had "far-reaching geopolitical, economic and humanitarian implications. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an affront to free people everywhere, and its impact has been felt far beyond Europe by constituting a challenge to the order that we've all worked so hard to build and defend."
He commended Japan for seeing the attack for what is: A challenge to the international community. "The United States and Japan, along with the international community, have condemned Russia's invasion, imposed sanctions on Russian entities, and sent necessary aid to Ukraine," he said. "Japan's quick and strong actions helped transform the international response from regional to global. Through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the United States and our allies and partners are exploring innovative ways to sustain our long-term support for the brave men and women of the Ukrainian armed forces, and to ensure that Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself."

The unity against Russia is a model for challenges everywhere. "In the Indo-Pacific, a key takeaway from this conflict is that aggression of any kind will be met with unity of action, as we have seen more than 30 of our allies and partners, including from the Indo-Pacific, join us in rushing security assistance to Ukraine," he said.

Ratner turned to China's continuing challenges to the order in the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

China's overreaction to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan in August is a concern throughout the region. "Following Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in early August, China launched an intensified and premeditated pressure campaign against Taiwan to try to change the status quo, jeopardizing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

China's aggressive and coercive military activities in the Taiwan Strait and in waters surrounding Japan … are provocative and destabilizing, he said. China is seeking to establish a "new normal" concerning Taiwan, and this threatens regional peace and security.

"Meanwhile, over the last year, we have seen a dramatic increase in People's Liberation Army non-standard and unsafe air intercepts in the region, designed to coerce and intimidate U.S. and allied forces operating lawfully in international airspace," he said.

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