Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, concerned about China's rising military spending and disputes with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea, signed a new partnership agreement with NATO on Tuesday.
The accord, signed by Abe and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen during Abe's visit to NATO's Brussels headquarters, will deepen Japan's cooperation with the Western military alliance in areas such as counter-piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
After addressing ambassadors from the 28 NATO nations, Abe drew a parallel between the situation in Ukraine, where Russia has occupied and annexed Crimea, and Asia, in an apparent allusion to a standoff between Beijing and Tokyo over tiny uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
"We will not tolerate any change of status quo through intimidation or coercion or force. This is not only applicable to Europe or Ukraine. This is applicable to East Asia and it is applicable to the whole world," Abe said at a joint press conference with Rasmussen.
Abe urged Russia and Ukraine's political parties to recognize the legitimacy of Ukraine's May 25 presidential election, which the West sees as crucial to help stabilize Ukraine after weeks of worsening violence that Western officials accuse Russia of helping to stir up.
"At the same time, in order to resolve this problem, we have to have dialogue with Russia," Abe said.
NATO has said it will not get involved militarily in Ukraine but it has reinforced security in eastern European members of NATO that are worried by Russia's renewed assertiveness.
Credit to Reuters
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