Intelligence-sharing networks need reliable and trustworthy partners. Japan is an obvious choice for the Western-dominated ¡°Five Eyes¡± spy alliance, made up of the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Tokyo¡¯s inclusion in the club is long overdue, especially as the region combats China¡¯s growing assertiveness and the unpredictability of North Korea¡¯s nuclear ambitions.
The group shouldn¡¯t waste any more time to take advantage of Tokyo¡¯s expertise. It has one of the world¡¯s biggest intelligence-gathering establishments and has long had eyes on China and North Korea, both considered among the nation¡¯s biggest security threats. That knowledge would prove invaluable for the Washington-led coalition, under pressure from an increasingly hostile environment.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin¡¯s trip to Tokyo this week to strengthen security cooperation is another reminder of that reality. Beijing¡¯s influence is growing, both economically and militarily. China this week launched the largest number of its naval vessels around Taiwan since 2022, in yet another attempt to intimidate the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own.
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