Japan's foreign minister says 'Asian NATO' is an idea for the future

2/10/2024 17:26

        The idea of an "Asian NATO" floated by Japan's new prime minister is one to consider in the mid- to long-term but not imminent, the new foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, said on Wednesday.
        
        Asian nations have expressed skepticism and reticence in response to the call from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took up his post on Tuesday.
        
        "I think it's one idea for the future," among efforts to create a multi-layered network of like-minded countries and boost regional deterrence, Iwaya told a news conference in Tokyo.
        
        "It's difficult to immediately set up a mechanism that would impose mutual defence obligations in Asia, so it's more of a vision for the future."
        
        In a paper to the Hudson Institute thinktank in September, Ishiba had argued for locking Washington into an "Asian NATO" as a way to deter China from using military force in Asia.