Jesse Johnson

Tokyo

News Desk Manager and Reporter at The Japan Times

Defense/diplomacy @Japantimes • views my own • jesse.johnson @ japantimes. co. jp / @[email protected] / https://t.co/CrqigY31rH / https://t.co/Y3CzQ8kqC6

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Articles

Chinese Navy says Philippine warship illegally entered Scarborough Shoal waters

3 days ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

China’s military said late Sunday that a Philippine naval vessel had “illegally entered” the claimed territorial waters of Scarborough Shoal, a key flash point in the disputed South China Sea. The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said it had organized navy vessels to track, monitor, warn and drive away the Philippine vessel, which it identified as the Apolinario Mabini corvette.
Japan defense chief says 'no reason' to change current U.S. troop deal

6 days ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Friday poured cold water on the possibility of renegotiating a cost-sharing agreement for hosting American troops in Japan before its expiration in 2027, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly demanded that Tokyo pay more for their stationing during tariffs-focused negotiations.
New U.S. envoy arrives in Japan with focus on trade, defense and reining in China

6 days ago | japantimes.co.jp | Gabriel Dominguez |Jesse Johnson

New U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass arrived in Tokyo on Friday, aiming to work closely to rein in China's military and economic ambitions while expressing “extreme optimism" that a trade deal will be reached with Tokyo after Washington slapped a number of tariffs on its top Asian ally.
Trump calls the U.S.-Japan alliance ‘one-sided.’ Tokyo says otherwise.

1 week ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against his country’s alliance with Japan, calling the partnership — which turns 65 this year — unfair and “one-sided.”“We defend them, but they don’t have to defend us,” Trump said suddenly during a Cabinet meeting last Friday as he was riffing on his global tariff push and of the inequity of the global trading system. “We pay hundreds of billions of dollars to defend them ...
Richard Armitage, ex-U.S. diplomat known for boosting Japan ties, dies at 79

1 week ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, a towering figure in the world of U.S.-Asian diplomacy known for his close connections to Japan, has died at the age of 79. Armitage, who served in the State Department’s No. 2 post in the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush, died of a pulmonary embolism on Sunday, his consulting firm said in a statement released Monday.
New U.S. ambassador to Japan 'optimistic' about tariff negotiations

1 week ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

George Glass, the United States’ new ambassador to Japan, has voiced optimism about looming negotiations regarding the onerous tariffs imposed on the U.S. ally by President Donald Trump, as Japanese officials gear up for talks this week. Glass, who is expected to arrive in Japan as early as this week, will make his way to the country as Washington and Tokyo are set to kick off negotiations following Trump’s sudden backtrack on so-called reciprocal tariffs last Wednesday.
U.S. confirms new Pentagon No. 3 as Japan defense budget in crosshairs

2 weeks ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Elbridge Colby to be the Defense Department’s policy chief, bringing to the Pentagon’s No. 3 post a known China hawk and advocate for Asian allies — including Japan — to spend more on defense. The Senate voted 54-45 in favor of Colby to be the new undersecretary of defense for policy, a vote that was largely along party lines.
Japan gets a new U.S. ambassador - and he has his work cut out for him

2 weeks ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

Japan has a new U.S. ambassador, and he’ll have both large shoes to fill and a challenging agenda ahead of him — including helping to resolve a row over tough tariffs the White House has slapped on its top Asian ally. The U.S. Senate voted 66 to 32 on Tuesday in Washington to confirm George Glass as Washington’s top envoy to Tokyo.
U.S. to send long-range surveillance drones to Japan amid Taiwan tensions

2 weeks ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

The U.S. military will deploy several long-range surveillance drones to Okinawa Prefecture, near Japan’s far-flung southwestern islands area near Taiwan, as the allies seek to counter China’s ramped-up drone presence in the same area. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday that the U.S. MQ-4C Triton drones will be sent to the U.S. air base in Kadena, on Okinawa's main island, in the coming weeks.
G7 condemns 'provocative' Chinese military drills around Taiwan

2 weeks ago | japantimes.co.jp | Jesse Johnson

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven have delivered an unusually strong condemnation of China's recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan, expressing “deep concern” over the “provocative” and “destabilizing” drills. “These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity,” the ministers said in a statement released Monday.