With eyes on China, U.S. and Japan vow new security collaboration

Biden and Kishida pledge new era of U.S.-Japan security cooperation, including missile development and manned moon landings.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised a "new era" of U.S.-Japan strategic cooperation on Wednesday, laying out a series of projects from co-development of missiles to manned moon landings, while condemning China's escalatory behavior in the region.

In a joint statement from a Washington summit, the two said their aim was to build a global security partnership "fit for purpose" for complex, interconnected challenges.

Mr. Biden stressed an unwavering U.S. commitment to defend Japan using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear, and the two said Japan's moves to enhance its defence structure and abilities launched "a new era of U.S.-Japan security cooperation."

The two sides said a planned upgrade of their military command-and-control frameworks would enable greater interoperability and planning in peacetime and during conflicts.

The United States and its allies, including Japan, have been building up their militaries to counter what they see as a growing threat from China in areas including the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida also announced plans to upgrade defence communications networks and to network air defence capabilities between the U.S., Australia and Japan to counter air and missile threats.

The defence plans will see the two sides establish a forum on defense industrial cooperation that would identify areas for co-development and co-production of missiles and maintenance of U.S. warships and aircraft, the statement said.