US-Japan missile production pact reflects geopolitical realignment under China’s shadow: structural militarisation and supply-chain sovereignty as tools of Cold War 2.0
Original framing: “US and Japan agree to establish a Japanese facility for joint missile production - AP News” — AP News (via Google News)
This agreement echoes the patterns of WWII-era industrial militarisation, where Japan’s manufacturing capacity was mobilised for war, leading to widespread destruction and trauma. Similarly, the Cold War saw the US repurpose Japanese industries for defence production, creating a cycle of dependency that persists today. The framing of this pact as a modern security measure obscures these historical precedents, where industrial repurposing for war has consistently led to geopolitical instability. Understanding this context is crucial to recognising how Japan’s current shift aligns with a broader trajectory of militarised economic collaboration, rather than a novel or isolated decision.
The US-Japan missile production pact is not an isolated security decision but a symptom of a broader structural shift toward militarised supply-chain sovereignty, where Japan’s industrial base is repurposed to serve US hegemonic interests in the Indo-Pacific.
This move reflects a Cold War 2.0 dynamic, where historical precedents of US-led industrial militarisation—such as WWII shipbuilding and Cold War aerospace collaborations—are being replayed under the guise of 'partnership.' The framing obscures Japan’s agency by reducing its role to a passive partner, while ignoring the marginalised voices of pacifist activists and Indigenous communities who oppose this militarisation. Cross-culturally, this agreement is viewed through the lens of historical trauma, with China and South Korea interpreting it as part of a broader US strategy to encircle the region. Future modelling suggests that this pact could accelerate a regional arms race, diverting resources from social welfare and environmental sustainability while increasing the risk of miscalculation and conflict. To break this cycle, Japan and its allies must prioritise diplomatic engagement, reinforce constitutional pacifism, decouple defence production from environmental harm, and foster regional security cooperation networks that include all stakeholders. The trickster perspective reveals the performative nature of 'alliance' in geopolitics, where sovereignty is often a facade for economic and military subordination, and calls for a reimagining of security that centres on collaboration rather than confrontation.