On the evening of the 31st, Prime Minister Kishida held talks with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, who is visiting Japan.
Bearing in mind the trends of Russia and China, the two sides agreed on the policy of strengthening cooperation in the field of security in order to protect the international order based on the rule of law.
At the meeting held shortly after 6:00 p.m. on the 31st, Prime Minister Kishida and Secretary-General Stoltenberg strongly condemned Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine, and noted the increasing military cooperation between Russia and China, including around Japan. and shared their concerns.
In addition, bearing in mind the trends of Russia and China, the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in security areas, including cyberspace and outer space, in order to protect a free and open international order based on the rule of law.
Prime Minister Kishida also informed NATO that he plans to establish a new, independent mission of the Japanese government to NATO, and that he is considering regular participation in NATO's board meetings and other meetings.
They then confirmed that they would further deepen communication between the two sides, and issued a joint statement as a result of the meeting.
The statement pointed out China's rapid military build-up and expansion of military activities, and strongly urged China to cooperate constructively with international efforts such as improving transparency and disarmament.
After this, Prime Minister Kishida and Secretary-General Stoltenberg made a joint announcement.
Prime Minister Kishida said, "NATO is an important partner with whom we share fundamental values and strategic interests. As the international community reaches a historic turning point at the end of the post-Cold War era, our relationship is making significant progress." I was.
NATO secretary general: China poses a threat to Taiwan
In a joint statement, Secretary-General Stoltenberg said of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, "This war is not just a European crisis, it is a challenge to the world order. It is also important for NATO what happens in
"China is threatening Taiwan with a massive military build-up, including nuclear weapons. China is trying to control critical infrastructure and spread false information about NATO and the war in Ukraine." "China is not our enemy, but we must understand the scale of the challenges that China poses and work together to deal with it," he said.