Changes in Japan’s security role linked to a US plan to realign its military globally to meet new threats may ultimately involve reviewing the US-Japan Security Treaty, a senior US defence official said yesterday. The suggestion comes amid a touchy debate over whether the 1960 treaty – the pillar of Tokyo’s postwar defence policy – would need to be revised to accommodate US requests for Japan to host a US Army command covering the Pacific Rim.

“I think the treaty we have is a good treaty and provides a reasonable degree of flexibility,” US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith told a group of reporters. “But it is true that the world has changed pretty radically in recent decades and the idea that one might want to do the kind of more formal approach to defining common ideas is something we are open to,” Feith said.

The United States plans to bring home some 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia within a decade as it shifts its military focus to new threats such as terrorism and rogue states, but has made clear that it sees Japan assuming a bigger role as a regional and even global strategic hub for US forces.

“The importance of the Asia-Pacific region is increasing and the importance of Japan as a key ally of ours is increasing,” Feith said. “This is a major thought as we work on redefining our defence posture globally.” Japan, now in the final stages of drafting a dramatic review of its own military posture, appears willing to accept a bigger international security role.

<B>Linda Sieg</B>