A sixth eye

If Japan formally joins the Five Eyes group, Tokyo would have to adopt several Five Eyes standards in terms of personnel clearance and vetting, information classification and information sharing.

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It would also have to convince the other members that its domestic counter-intelligence measures and new legislation can sufficiently protect state secrets. Tokyo has already made important strides in this direction.

On 20 November 2024, Japan hosted a gathering of senior enlisted members from the Five Eyes intelligence partnership in Tokyo. It was for the first time a non-member state did so, in a move that highlights the growing cooperation between Tokyo and its Western allies amid shared concerns about a rapidly deteriorating international security environment.

The Five Eyes grouping comprises of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and the meeting was a part of a broader conference among senior enlisted personnel from across the Self Defense Forces.

The objective of Japan hosting the meeting was to have a greater understanding of the situation and achieve its goal of promoting Tokyo's vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

It was for the first time such a meeting took place outside a Five Eyes country. Japan was however involved earlier in such a gathering when the SDF personnel were invited to a similar conference of Canadian senior enlisted members in October 2024.

Such gatherings are important as personnel at this level perform key duties, including providing critical advice to commanders.

Personnel sit together, compare notes, and realise that all face the same challenges, and thus create interoperability with partners and like-minded nations. The aim is to improve information-sharing networks.

What adds significance to the Tokyo gathering is that Japan has long stated its interest in becoming the sixth member of the intelligence partnership. What drives Tokyo to show invigorated interest is because of a growing threat from China's growing military and cyber capabilities.