Defense Alliance Between Russia, China, and North Korea Threatens Global Security — Japanese Ministry of Defense

The Ministry of Defense of Japan has released its annual white paper “Defense of Japan,” in which it stated that the threat to national security has significantly increased due to deepening defense cooperation between China, Russia, and North Korea in the Indo-Pacific region.

This is stated in the government report by the Japanese Ministry of Defense (Defense of Japan 2026), which was presented to the country’s government.

Analysts of the document emphasize the inextricable link between European and Asian security, as military and technical coordination among the three states destabilizes not only the East Asian region but also the entire global security system.

The section on cooperation between Russia and North Korea documents North Korea’s supply of artillery ammunition, ballistic missiles, and the deployment of military personnel to participate in the war against Ukraine. In response, Russia may transfer technology for nuclear and missile programs to North Korea, while the North Korean military is gaining real-world experience in the use of drones and improving the accuracy of its missiles.

China and Russia continue to expand the scale of their joint military exercises in the waters of the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government views the regular joint flights of strategic bombers and the passage of naval fleets near its borders as a planned show of force.

The report paid particular attention to the symbolic strengthening of the alliance, noting the joint appearance of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un at a military parade in Beijing. Japan views such actions as coordinated efforts to undermine the existing international order.

To counter these challenges, Japan has allocated over $58 billion to its defense budget for fiscal year 2026 and is preparing an early review of three key strategic documents in the field of national security. In addition, the country is expanding its network of cooperation within the framework of its alliance with the United States and its partnerships with the AUKUS and NATO-IP4 blocs.