1. The cooperation between the United Sates and Japan
on our respective Defense Exchanges with other countries
to improve the international security environment
By
Col. Tadashi TABUCHI, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Visiting Fellow, Henry L. Stimson Center
13th November, 2007
As a disclaimer, the contents of this briefing are my personal opinions
and are not representative ideas or positions of the Japanese government
or the Japan Ministry of Defense.

2. JGSDF Chief of Staff Tsutomu Mori visited Vietnam in 2007

3. The cooperation between the United Sates and Japan
on our respective Defense Exchanges with other countries
to improve the international security environment
1. Defense Exchanges of Japan
2. Defense Exchanges of the U.S.
3. Necessity of the Cooperation between the U.S. and Japan
4. Measures to Cooperate between the U.S. and Japan

4. 1. Defense Exchanges of Japan
(1) Overview
a. Traditional Concepts
During the Cold War the U.S.-Japan
bilateral exchanges
Japan-Russia
After the Cold War
the U.S.-Japan
Confidence-building
bilateral exchanges
National Defense Program Guidelines (2004)
One of the major roles to be played by defense capability
“Proactive efforts, on its own initiative,
to improve the international security environment”
JMOD has been trying to redouble its effort
to improve the security environment
by deepening and widening defense exchanges.

5. Counterparts of Defense Exchanges of Japan
Republic of Korea, Russia, China, Australia, U.K., India,
Southeast Asian countries, ARF, European countries, NATO, etc.
Exchanges between senior defense officials
Regular consultation between staff
Bilateral Exchanges between units
Student exchanges
Research exchanges
Multilateral Security dialogue
Joint exercises
Types of Present Defense Exchanges of Japan

6. 1) In recent years, Japan’s defense exchanges, considering changes in
international situations and other changes, have come to place a greater
emphasis on establishing and strengthening cooperative relations with
the global community.
2) It also has expanded defense exchanges that go beyond Japan’s
neighboring countries.
3) Furthermore, Japan’s defense exchanges have come to place greater
importance on practical exchanges, making them more action-based
exchanges.
Multilateral Search and Rescue JMOD hosted multilateral forums
Cobra Gold Exercise
Exercises on disaster relief operations

7. b. New Concepts
Basic Policy for Defense Exchanges (April 2007)
Aims of defense exchanges
Confidence-building JMOD hosted multilateral forums
Dealing with security issues. on disaster relief operations
Directions of defense exchanges hereafter
1) Conduct defense exchanges for direct contribution to strengthen international
cooperation
- Dialogue for sharing awareness of security issues and cooperation on
defense policy,
- Bilateral and multilateral exercises connected with international peace
cooperation activities of JSDF
2) Utilize a variety of defense-exchange means
- Mutual visits of troops and sending officers to exercises as observers,
- Sponsoring and participating in seminars,
- Offering knowledge and skills of the JSDF on disaster relief activities
One of the consideration for conducting defense exchanges
The cooperation with the U.S. as necessary in the case of promoting defense
exchanges of Japan and under taking account of the U.S. policy

8. (2) Sections in Charge of Defense Exchanges
Japan Ministry of Defense
The U.S.-Japan
Defense Exchanges
Bilateral Exchanges
Internal International Policy Division U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation
Division
Bureaus (in Bureau of Defense Policy)
Joint Defense Exchange Section Defense Planning Section
Staff Office (in Defense Plans and Policy Department)
Ground Defense Exchange Section
Staff Office (Defense Policy and Programs Department）
Maritime Defense Planning Section
Staff Office (in Operation and Plans Department)
Air Defense Planning Section
Staff Office (Defense Planning and Policy Department)

9. 2. Defense Exchanges of the U.S.
(1) Overview
1) Defense cooperation 2) Confidence building measures
Cooperation between the U.S. Building relations of mutual confidence
and allies and friendly nations. with maybe China, Russia, etc.
The U.S.-Philippines The U.S.-Japan The U.S.-China The U.S.-Russia
3) Security assistance
Support to the foreign countries to improve its security environment.
The U.S.-Vietnam

10. (2) Sections in Charge of Defense Exchanges
1) Defense cooperation 2) Confidence building measures
the sections in the Joint Chief of Staff office that have regional portfolio, and
each Office of Chief of Staff are in charge of comprehensive defense exchanges
3) Security assistance
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
in OSD

11. 1) Defense cooperation 2) Confidence
building measures
More global engagement
beyond Japan’s
neighboring countries
Japan-Pakistan Japan-India
Joint exercises,
multilateral seminars on
disaster relief operations
Cobra Gold Exercise
3) Security assistance
：Defense Exchanges of the U.S.
：Defense Exchanges of Japan
Image of Defense Exchanges of the U.S. and Defense Exchanges of Japan

12. 3. Necessity of the Cooperation between the U.S. and Japan
(1) Mutual Understanding on Respective Basic Concepts for Defense
Exchanges
When Japan first began to intensify its efforts in defense exchanges after the end of the Cold War,
some U.S. defense officials became suspicious
that Japan might have begun
to neglect the U.S.-Japan bilateral relations.
Japan-Russia
Reviewing the U.S.-Japan security relationship
Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation (1997)
Both Governments recognize
the importance and significance of defense exchanges
and will promote such activities and cooperate as necessary.
2+2 Meeting
Basic Policy for Defense Exchanges (2007)
The U.S. and Japan to cooperate and understand each other
on the respective concepts of defense exchanges.

13. (2) Creating Synergy on Defense Exchanges
Mongolia Republic of Korea
the Philippines India
Thailand the U.S. JAPAN
U.S.-Japan Alliance,
with the U.S.-Japan
security relationship at its
Malaysia Australia core, is the linchpin of
American security policy
Singapore Indonesia in the Asia-Pacific region
The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Getting Asia Right through 2020 (Armitage-Nye Report II)
The U.S.-Japan Alliance can and should remain at the core of the United States’ Asia strategy.
And, the key to the success of this strategy is for the alliance to continue to evolve
from an exclusive alliance based on common threats
toward a more open, inclusive alliance based on common interests and values.

14. (3) Resolving Problems related Our Respective Defense Exchanges
with Other Countries
Japan rejected The U.S. deployed these units
the Australian military to Japan for training for several months.
students’ training in Japan
under Japanese Law. The U.S. couldn’t receive
PLA officers
NIDS planned to send who were studying in NIDS
NO
a delegation of students
under U.S. regulations.
to the U.S.
NO
The U.S. Marine Corps received
military students
NIDS received military form the Australian Defense Force
students from China PLA. in aviation units.
1) We have to cooperate with each other in order to understand,
and have to list these problems.
2) If possible, we have to resolve these problems between the U.S. and Japan
which occurred in our respective defense exchanges with other countries.

15. 4. Measures to Cooperate between the U.S. and Japan
(1) Purpose of the Cooperation
The purpose of the cooperation on our respective defense exchanges
between the U.S. and Japan,
which share the fundamental values such as freedom and democracy,
is to improve the international security environment
and solidify peace and stability
of the international community and the region.

16. (2) Setting up Consultation mechanism discuss cooperation in Defense
Exchanges
Existing Consultations
- The U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2 Meeting)
- High-level exchanges of defense officials
- Regular consultations between defense authorities 2+2 Meeting
We need to set up new consultations on defense exchanges
between the respective bodies
in charge of defense exchanges in the U.S. and Japan.
We have to eliminate the negative effects of bureaucratic sectionalism,
and these consultations must include sections in charge of the U.S.-Japan bilateral exchanges.
Contents of Consultations
- to mutually understand the respective concepts of defense exchanges
- to share the fruits of defense exchanges conducted thus far
- to share ideas on defense exchanges hereafter, and establish the procedures
for cooperation in order to strategically promote our respective defense exchanges.
- to mutually understand, list and resolve problems between the U.S. and Japan
which occurred in our respective defense exchanges

17. The Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee,
“Alliance Transformation:
Advancing the U.S.-Japan Security and Defense Cooperation” (May 2007)
highlighted some common strategic objectives, for instance,
1)further encouraging China to conduct itself as a responsible international stakeholder,
improve transparency in its military affairs,
and maintain consistency between its stated policies and actions,
2)further strengthen trilateral cooperation among the U.S., Japan and Australia
in the region and around the world, including in the areas of security and defense,
3)continuing to build upon partnership with India.
1) China
- Researchers of the U.S. and Japan are vigorously researching
how to promote defense exchanges with China.
2) Australia
- Japan and Australia released the Japan-Australia Joint Declaration
on Security Cooperation (March 2007). The U.S.-Japan-Australia
- the first trilateral meeting of defense chiefs between the U.S., Japan and Australia
was held at the occasion of the sixth Asia Security Conference (June 2007).
3) India
- the U.S., Japan and India conducted
the first trilateral joint maritime exercise (April 2007).
The U.S.-Japan-India
We should promote such kinds of defense exchanges through proactive consultations.

18. (3) Areas of Concrete Cooperation
a. Promote Bilateral Exchanges
the U.S. Navy ship Peleliu,
which included foreign military doctors and NGOs,
visited Vietnam and other countries
to support medical treatment efforts.
the Asia-Pacific region JSDF doctors also took part in this activity.
has diversity
Such diversity will influence
our respective defense
exchanges
to inform each other So if there are some areas of cooperation
of the situations on wide variety of defense exchanges of the U.S.
of respective such as activity of Peleliu,
defense exchanges Japan should proactively take part in these.

19. b. Promote Multilateral Exchanges
Mongolia Republic of Korea
the Philippines India
Thailand the U.S. JAPAN Indonesia Pakistan
Earthquake Earthquake
Malaysia Australia
Singapore Indonesia
The U.S. should lead allies and friendly
nations as a hub of security
arrangements in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan has hosted seminars on
and promote more multilateral disaster relief operations
exchanges such as the Asia-Pacific
Chief of Defense Conference. In future, Japan should expand
such kind of seminars
which related to operations.
Japan has same advantage to promote
defense exchanges with Southeast Asia,
because this area is a priority region in
Japanese ODA. So, Japan should use this
Chief of Defense Conference in Japan advantage to promote multilateral exchanges.

20. c. Promote Track 2s
It is not easy to conduct frank discussions
with military officers of communist countries
such as China, Vietnam, Laos and so on
Track Two conferences, in official exchanges.
which are hosted by the private sector
and which participants part
from their official position
of their respective governments
and discuss individual positions. So when we discuss with these countries
on the common security concern
of the U.S. and Japan,
we should also apply
Track Two approaches.
Encouraging the peaceful resolution
of issues concerning the Taiwan Strait
through dialogue,
Track Two conferences may also be effective.

21. d. Promote Bilateral and Multilateral Exercises
Bilateral and Multilateral International Peace Cooperation
Exercises Activities of JSDF
Iraq
Multilateral Search and Rescue Exercises
The Indian Ocean Golan Heights
We should cooperate and promote
Cobra Gold Exercise
such defense exchanges furthermore.
I think if Japan hopes to promote
bilateral and multilateral exercises further,
Japan needs to resolve the issue of exercising
the right of collective self-defense
Trilateral Joint Maritime Exercise so that Japan can do so
(the U.S.-Japan-India) like other foreign military forces.

22. Conclusion
General Vo Nguyen Giap said,
“Vietnam hopes to promote defense exchanges with foreign countries.”
Let the U.S. and Japan cooperate with each other
on our respective defense exchanges with other countries
to improve the international security environment.