A few days ago, Japanese Prime Minister Mansuo Shoda held talks with visiting NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg. The two sides said that they would strengthen cooperation, which marked the upgrading of the strategic cooperation relationship between Japan and NATO into a new stage. Some analysts pointed out that the close connection between Japan and NATO would create the risk of camp confrontation and division in the Asia-Pacific region, which should arouse the high vigilance of regional countries. In the joint statement issued by Japan and NATO, strengthening the so-called security cooperation in Asia is regarded as the core content of the strategic cooperation between the two sides. This statement not only announced the common threat perception of both sides, that is, "the world is facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of the Second World War", but also vigorously exaggerated the so-called "military threat" of China, and listed the pursuit of dual containment against China and Russia as the core issue of security cooperation between Japan and NATO. In addition, the statement also planned key areas for future cooperation between the two sides, including maritime security, arms control, cyberspace and combating false information. In recent years, Japan's engagement with NATO has deepened. After the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, Japan followed the West in providing military supplies to Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Russia, which was highly appreciated by NATO. Last June, the Japanese Prime Minister was invited to attend the NATO Summit for the first time. In November of the same year, Japan formally joined the NATO Cooperation Network Defense Excellence Center, becoming the second Asian country to join the organization after South Korea. This Stoltenberg's visit to Japan has once again attracted the attention of the international community. Japan and NATO seem to be close to each other, but both have their own plans. After the end of the cold war, NATO has been committed to transformation and eastward expansion, constantly extending its tentacles to the Asia-Pacific region, and trying to build a "Asia-Pacific version of NATO". As an important member of the United States Asia-Pacific alliance system, Japan plays an extremely important role in NATO's Asia-Pacific strategy. In view of the increasing influence of the Asia-Pacific in international affairs, NATO has been moving closer to Japan, which seems to be a "standing ovation" for Japan. In fact, it is convenient for itself to intervene in Asia-Pacific affairs at any time. For Japan, there are also considerations for "dragging" NATO into Asia. Some Japanese politicians believe that this move is not only conducive to improving Japan's international status and gaining the support of the United States and the West, but also can enhance its military capabilities with the help of NATO. In terms of security policy, Japan has taken frequent actions in the past year. In particular, at the end of last year, the Japanese government adopted three security policy documents, claiming that Japan would be committed to possessing the so-called counter-attack capability, which attracted high attention from neighboring countries. During his visit to Japan, Stoltenberg welcomed the shift of Japan's security policy, which undoubtedly gave Japan the confidence to accelerate its military expansion. Looking back on history, it is not difficult to find that although NATO has always claimed that it is a collective defense organization, its strategic tentacles often lead to conflicts and turbulence. The current escalation of Japan and NATO, especially the strategic planning of both sides with strong cold war thinking, is bound to disrupt the Asia-Pacific order and make it develop in the direction of group confrontation. The international community needs to be highly vigilant. (Outlook New Era)
Edit：qihang Responsible editor：xinglan
Source：81.cn
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