The Global Spy Alliance Should Let Japan Join
Tokyo wants to be part of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence group. It’s time for a strong Asian partner in the Western network.
Lloyd Austin in Japan this week.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
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 US, UK, 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.