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| TOKYO — The United States and Japan agreed on Thursday to broaden their security alliance, expanding Japan’s role while trying to show American determination to remain a dominant presence in the region. | TOKYO — The United States and Japan agreed on Thursday to broaden their security alliance, expanding Japan’s role while trying to show American determination to remain a dominant presence in the region. |
| The agreement, which will position surveillance drones in Japan for the first time, underscored the two countries’ efforts to respond to growing challenges from China and North Korea at a time of budget constraints. It also included some of the clearest signals yet that the United States backs Japan’s increasing though still limited moves to strengthen its military, and its military ties in Asia, as a counterbalance to China’s own buildup. | The agreement, which will position surveillance drones in Japan for the first time, underscored the two countries’ efforts to respond to growing challenges from China and North Korea at a time of budget constraints. It also included some of the clearest signals yet that the United States backs Japan’s increasing though still limited moves to strengthen its military, and its military ties in Asia, as a counterbalance to China’s own buildup. |
| Those provisions are sure to rankle China and come at a time of already heightened tensions between the two Asian powers, which are locked in a standoff over islands in the East China Sea. The drones, as well as Navy reconnaissance planes never before stationed outside the United States, are expected to patrol waters in the region, including those around the disputed island chain. | Those provisions are sure to rankle China and come at a time of already heightened tensions between the two Asian powers, which are locked in a standoff over islands in the East China Sea. The drones, as well as Navy reconnaissance planes never before stationed outside the United States, are expected to patrol waters in the region, including those around the disputed island chain. |
| The agreement was signed during a visit here by the secretaries of state and defense, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, who were meeting with their Japanese counterparts. With two cabinet members present, the signing appeared to be another effort by the administration to fight a growing anxiety in Asia that the United States is too preoccupied with internal political struggles and troubles in the Middle East to carry through with its much-vaunted “pivot” to Asia. | The agreement was signed during a visit here by the secretaries of state and defense, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, who were meeting with their Japanese counterparts. With two cabinet members present, the signing appeared to be another effort by the administration to fight a growing anxiety in Asia that the United States is too preoccupied with internal political struggles and troubles in the Middle East to carry through with its much-vaunted “pivot” to Asia. |
| “Our bilateral defense cooperation, including America’s commitment to the security of Japan, is a critical component of our overall relationship,” Mr. Hagel told reporters, “and to the Obama administration’s rebalance to Asia-Pacific.” | “Our bilateral defense cooperation, including America’s commitment to the security of Japan, is a critical component of our overall relationship,” Mr. Hagel told reporters, “and to the Obama administration’s rebalance to Asia-Pacific.” |
| For its part, Japan committed to bolster its security capabilities by creating a new American-style National Security Council, and said it would expand assistance to Southeast Asian countries to help them resist Chinese territorial claims. Japan also pledged to increase military spending over all, despite the country’s need to pare down its huge national debt, and said it might change its current interpretation of its pacifist Constitution to allow its military to come to the aid of American forces under attack. | For its part, Japan committed to bolster its security capabilities by creating a new American-style National Security Council, and said it would expand assistance to Southeast Asian countries to help them resist Chinese territorial claims. Japan also pledged to increase military spending over all, despite the country’s need to pare down its huge national debt, and said it might change its current interpretation of its pacifist Constitution to allow its military to come to the aid of American forces under attack. |
| Because the wording of the agreement was worked out jointly, those provisions suggested American support for the changes, some of which remain controversial in Japan where many fear they are leading the country ever further from its postwar pacifism. The United States has long suggested it would welcome Japan’s moving toward what some here call a “more normal” military rather than limiting itself to Self-Defense Forces, but the agreement was quite specific. | Because the wording of the agreement was worked out jointly, those provisions suggested American support for the changes, some of which remain controversial in Japan where many fear they are leading the country ever further from its postwar pacifism. The United States has long suggested it would welcome Japan’s moving toward what some here call a “more normal” military rather than limiting itself to Self-Defense Forces, but the agreement was quite specific. |
| Japan has slowly been pushing the bounds of the constitutional constraints on its military for years, partly in a reaction to China’s increasing power and assertiveness in the region. Japanese warships have not only conducted joint exercises with a growing number of military forces in the Pacific and Asia, but they have also begun making regular port visits to countries that had once been fearful of a resurgence of Japan’s military. | Japan has slowly been pushing the bounds of the constitutional constraints on its military for years, partly in a reaction to China’s increasing power and assertiveness in the region. Japanese warships have not only conducted joint exercises with a growing number of military forces in the Pacific and Asia, but they have also begun making regular port visits to countries that had once been fearful of a resurgence of Japan’s military. |
| Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a conservative nationalist, has already increased military spending for the first time in 11 years, though by only 0.8 percent. He would like to go further, proposing a rewriting of the Constitution that would scrap restrictions on the military and that has so far won little popular backing. As a first step, he has proposed expanding the interpretation of the Constitution to allow the military to come to the aid of United States forces if needed. | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a conservative nationalist, has already increased military spending for the first time in 11 years, though by only 0.8 percent. He would like to go further, proposing a rewriting of the Constitution that would scrap restrictions on the military and that has so far won little popular backing. As a first step, he has proposed expanding the interpretation of the Constitution to allow the military to come to the aid of United States forces if needed. |
| A key issue during the talks was how to respond to China, which has been sending ships to contest Japan’s control of the group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. The agreement announced on Thursday says the United States and Japan should be ready to deal with “coercive and destabilizing behaviors.” While the United States has refused to take sides in the dispute, Mr. Hagel repeated American assurances that the islands are covered by the security treaty, which obligates the United States to help Japan defend itself if attacked. | A key issue during the talks was how to respond to China, which has been sending ships to contest Japan’s control of the group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. The agreement announced on Thursday says the United States and Japan should be ready to deal with “coercive and destabilizing behaviors.” While the United States has refused to take sides in the dispute, Mr. Hagel repeated American assurances that the islands are covered by the security treaty, which obligates the United States to help Japan defend itself if attacked. |
| Mr. Kerry sought to allay Chinese fears about a closer United States-Japan military alliance, saying the United States desires a cooperative relationship with China on the issue of North Korea and other areas of common ground. | Mr. Kerry sought to allay Chinese fears about a closer United States-Japan military alliance, saying the United States desires a cooperative relationship with China on the issue of North Korea and other areas of common ground. |
| Still, he appeared to put China on notice that the United States had some limits. The United States has been “very clear about our interests and those things that we think represent lines that we think should not be crossed,” including on the matter of the islands dispute with Japan. While the United States is not weighing in on that matter, he said “we do recognize Japan’s administration of those islands.” | Still, he appeared to put China on notice that the United States had some limits. The United States has been “very clear about our interests and those things that we think represent lines that we think should not be crossed,” including on the matter of the islands dispute with Japan. While the United States is not weighing in on that matter, he said “we do recognize Japan’s administration of those islands.” |
| Chinese officials were unavailable for comment on Thursday, a national holiday in China. | Chinese officials were unavailable for comment on Thursday, a national holiday in China. |
| Scott Seaman, a senior analyst who monitors China and Japan at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm in Washington, said the agreement should not have come as a surprise to China. At the same time, he said, “it’s not going to be something seen in a very positive light in China.” | Scott Seaman, a senior analyst who monitors China and Japan at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm in Washington, said the agreement should not have come as a surprise to China. At the same time, he said, “it’s not going to be something seen in a very positive light in China.” |
| The security guidelines included an agreement to work on specific cybersecurity projects. It also finalized plans to place a new X-band radar system in Kyogamisaki, near Kyoto, to better protect both countries against military threats from North Korea. The powerful new radar will also save the Pentagon money by freeing up American Aegis radar ships that now patrol the waters near North Korea for use elsewhere in the world. | The security guidelines included an agreement to work on specific cybersecurity projects. It also finalized plans to place a new X-band radar system in Kyogamisaki, near Kyoto, to better protect both countries against military threats from North Korea. The powerful new radar will also save the Pentagon money by freeing up American Aegis radar ships that now patrol the waters near North Korea for use elsewhere in the world. |
| Despite the benefits for the United States, the efforts by Japan to enhance its military capabilities present the Obama administration with a conundrum. While American officials have welcomed Japan’s willingness to shoulder a larger share of the region’s security burden, those moves have been watched warily in South Korea, another key American defense partner. In particular, past denials by Japanese leaders, including Mr. Abe, that Korean women were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during World War II have angered many Koreans. | Despite the benefits for the United States, the efforts by Japan to enhance its military capabilities present the Obama administration with a conundrum. While American officials have welcomed Japan’s willingness to shoulder a larger share of the region’s security burden, those moves have been watched warily in South Korea, another key American defense partner. In particular, past denials by Japanese leaders, including Mr. Abe, that Korean women were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during World War II have angered many Koreans. |
| As a result, the United States has struggled to get its two closest Asian allies to conduct even low-level military cooperation. The agreement on Thursday called specifically for trilateral cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan to face common threats, like North Korea’s nuclear program. | As a result, the United States has struggled to get its two closest Asian allies to conduct even low-level military cooperation. The agreement on Thursday called specifically for trilateral cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan to face common threats, like North Korea’s nuclear program. |
Rick Gladstone contributed reporting from New York, and Jane Perlez from Beijing. | Rick Gladstone contributed reporting from New York, and Jane Perlez from Beijing. |