The Trump administration has assured Tokyo that it will defend the Senkaku Islands, which are disputed between Japan, China, and Taiwan, as stipulated by Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty.
The much-needed reassurance came after a 40-minute phone call between Japanese Defense Minister General Nakatani and the newly-elected US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Nakatani described Hegseth’s remarks as a display of the “unwavering US commitment to defending Japan.”
Much like that of NATO, Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty states: “Each Party recognizes that an armed attack against either Party in the territories under the administration of Japan would be dangerous to its peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger by its constitutional provisions and processes.”
Earlier, when Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, a day after President Trump’s inauguration, he did not commit to the defense of Senkaku under Article 5. This makes the latest assurance from Hegseth more significant.
General Nakatani told reporters that there are no changes to the US-Japan security treaty for now. “It was very meaningful that we agreed upon the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and that persistent effort by our two nations to strengthen deterrence capabilities is indispensable to the peace and stability of the region,” he added.
The Senkaku Islands are a group of islands in the East China Sea under the Japanese administration. The islands are situated north of the southwestern tip of the Ryukyu Islands and west of Okinawa Islands of Japan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and northeast of Taiwan.
The islands are disputed by all three countries. They are known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwan. Notably, Taiwan has not renounced its claims over the island despite having close relations with Japan.
If China or even Taiwan launches an armed attack on the Senkaku Islands, Article 5 of the treaty will be automatically invoked, and the US will enter the war in support of Japan.
