Concerns about the rise of autocracies and the challenges they pose to the liberal international order are driving the Netherlands to work ¡°more closely than ever before¡± with Indo-Pacific countries, particularly Japan, on defense and economic security issues, the country¡¯s envoy to Tokyo said in an interview.

While The Hague¡¯s growing regional engagement already includes the deployment of warships every two years, cooperative activities could also soon extend to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, with plans now underway for the first-ever Indo-Pacific mission of Dutch F-35 fighter jets in 2026, Ambassador Gilles Beschoor Plug told The Japan Times.

¡°The war in Ukraine, North Korea¡¯s troop deployment to Russia and the potential impact of South China Sea disruptions on international trade highlight how much regional security developments have become globally interconnected,¡± Plug said.

¡°And given the growing threat to international peace, stability and the rules-based order, Japan, the Netherlands, as well as our allies and partners, need to help each other to tackle these challenges,¡± he added as The Hague and Tokyo prepare to mark their 425th anniversary of relations next year.

To play its part, the Netherlands has been gradually expanding its military footprint in the Indo-Pacific by increasing the number of engagements with regional partners.

¡°Defense cooperation has been growing enormously in recent years,¡± Plug said.

This includes the ¡°Pacific Archer¡± mission of the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp that began in March and included port calls as well as exercises with partners and allies.

The seven-month deployment not only saw the warship visit Nagasaki, exercise with the Maritime Self-Defense Force and conduct sanctions enforcement patrols against North Korea but also engage with fellow naval forces in India, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea. The ship also sailed through the Taiwan Strait, which The Hague and several other Western countries view as an international waterway.

China, which regards the strategic waters as under its jurisdiction, has voiced its displeasure with such transits, but the Netherlands and others argue that the moves are simply meant to signal their support of freedom of navigation in the area.

The Asia-Pacific region is the Netherlands¡¯ biggest export market outside Europe, which is why it was among the first European countries to issue a dedicated regional strategy.

The country is increasingly concerned about the risks to maritime trade routes posed by China and North Korea¡¯s military buildups, as well as territorial rows in the East and South China seas and the situation around Taiwan.

Plug said the next Dutch warship deployment to the region is slated for 2026, the same year as the planned F-35 mission.

While the details for these deployments are still being worked out, the ambassador said...