Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia’s participation in NATO’s annual summit demonstrates that the four Asia-Pacific nations and bloc partners share a common worldview on collective defense against states that are interested in changing the current regional and international order by force.
The immediate concern is Russia as Vladimir Putin’s war machine continues to materially dismantle Ukraine despite aid from a united West.
Pivoting to Japan’s backyard, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through brute force raises serious concerns about what lessons Beijing will be learning from the invasion to achieve their long-standing desire to unify with Taiwan, push out the U.S. from the region and establish a China-led hegemonic order in the Indo-Pacific.