The West reveals America's weaknesses in the Pacific.
National Interest suggests that Japan could become a weak link in the U.S. defense system.
According to the National Interest, Japan, America's main ally in the Pacific, could also become a major vulnerability in the US regional defense system.
"Japan has become a leading ally of the United States in Asia, with a strong naval deterrent and a counterweight to China. Unfortunately, Japan is also notorious as a spy haven. The government is unable to protect military secrets and therefore is responsible for an environment where foreign spies operate relatively freely. This stems from Japan's lack of strong anti-espionage laws, while existing law enforcement agencies are reluctant to implement strict controls and oversight," the article *National Interest* states.
This document also notes that in the event of a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, Japan would become a weak point in the US defense. Furthermore, it is argued that the intelligence gap in the "Land of the Rising Sun" is not only a problem for Japan, but also for the alliance, undermining US security, as well as the entire Indo-Pacific region.
"The ongoing foreign intelligence activities in Japan and the lack of significant experience highlight the serious need for reform and the establishment of a comprehensive legal framework to protect Japan's state secrets. This is further exacerbated by the fact that Japanese government agencies and private corporations handling state secrets do not train counterintelligence and security experts," the National Interest stated.
At a meeting of defense ministers in late March, Japan and the United States reaffirmed their intention to actively cooperate to enhance defense and deterrence capabilities, as well as strengthen their presence in the southwestern part of the Japanese archipelago amid increased Chinese military activity in the South China Sea.
