Japan wants de facto 'Six Eyes' intelligence status

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Japan wants de facto 'Six Eyes' intelligence status: defense chief
Kono expresses 'grave concerns' about China's maritime activity

Defense Minister Taro Kono speaks during an interview on Aug. 12 in Tokyo. (Photo by Rie Ishii)

DAISHI ABE and RIEKO MIKI, Nikkei staff writers
August 14, 2020 18:02 JSTUpdated on August 15, 2020 03:24 JST

TOKYO -- Japan is eager to expand cooperation with the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance that includes the U.S. and the U.K, Defense Minister Taro Kono told Nikkei, expressing hopes for the framework that would allow the country to obtain key classified information at an early stage.

"These countries share the same values," Kono said in an interview. "Japan can get closer [to the alliance] even to the extent of it being called the 'Six Eyes'."

The Five Eyes grouping takes its name from the number of countries that comprise it -- the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The members share deep historical and cultural ties anchored in their common Anglo-Saxon heritage and use of the English language. Their multilateral UKUSA Agreement covers cooperation in signals intelligence, analysis and sharing of information obtained through wiretapping networks for security purposes.

Despite not being a formal member, Japan has been sharing information with the group. Kono stressed that expanding Japan's links to it will enable the country to share information at an earlier stage and also acquire highly classified intelligence.

The Five Eyes is also characterized by strong diplomatic ties on top of their intelligence-sharing and they release joint statements on issues of shared concern. "It is highly important that [the member countries] keep step in diplomacy as well as on the economy," Kono said, adding that the intelligence framework also jointly tackles issues such as climate change and space debris.

An F/A-18 Hornet lands on the USS Ronald Reagan during exercises in the Philippine Sea on June 28 in this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. Kyodo

Some members of the Five Eyes are also seeking closer cooperation with Japan to share confidential information in response to China's growing military expansion. The U.K., for example, is wary of China amid mounting diplomatic tension over Hong Kong and the novel coronavirus pandemic and seeks to capitalize on information possessed by Japan.

"As defense minister and the one responsible for Japan's security, I have to say that I have very grave concerns" about Chinese activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea, Kono said.

"Many countries believe that China is trying to change the status quo unilaterally with the threat of force in the background, including in the East and South China seas, along the China-India border and in Hong Kong," Kono said, adding that "the consensus in the international community is that it should be made to pay a high price" for such actions.

Japan has been approached about sharing its information "on various occasions," Kono said. "If approaches are made on a constant basis, then it may be called the 'Six Eyes'," he said.

But Kono said he doesn't think Japan needs to go through certain procedures to join as an official member as the grouping is not an international organization. "We will just bring our chair to their table and tell them to count us in."

Some experts also point out that Japan needs to improve how it protects intelligence. The country does not have a security clearance system, which grants access to highly classified information only to those, including civilians, who can be trusted not to leak it.

 

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Japan's deeper ties with Five Eyes hinge on how it keeps secrets
Stronger information collection and management needed for effective partnership

A U.K. Royal Air Force Sentinel R1, a type of surveillance aircraft. © Crown copyright 2020

MASAYA KATO, Nikkei staff writerAugust 13, 2020 09:42 JST

TOKYO -- As the U.K. makes overtures toward Japan about working more closely with or even joining the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, Tokyo faces the task of ensuring it can keep sensitive data safe both within and outside the government.

While Japan shares information with the group's members -- the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand -- it is not itself part of Five Eyes. Joining would allow for intelligence to be made available at an earlier stage as well as facilitate sensitive communication.

London has broached the possibility of Japan participating amid growing alarm over China, particularly its crackdown in Hong Kong and its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Japanese cooperation with Five Eyes would come at an ideal time for Washington as it seeks to build a coalition of democracies against China. A congressional report last year positioned Japan alongside Five Eyes members as a trusted partner in intelligence sharing.

Thanks to its geographical location in northeast Asia, Japan could offer valuable information on China, Russia and North Korea -- all areas of particular concern to the alliance.

"Five Eyes is interested in Japan's satellite intelligence and in military intelligence collected in its coastal waters," said Ken Kotani, a professor at Nihon University and expert on international intelligence strategy.

Some in Tokyo appear open to joining, with one senior official saying participation is "not a bad idea." Doing so would have the advantage of splitting the burden of intelligence collection with trusted partners. Others suggest that Japan could expand information sharing with Five Eyes members without formally participating.
But the government faces the challenge of building a more effective system for protecting sensitive information.

Japan enacted a controversial law in 2014 with stiff penalties for leaking secrets related to diplomacy or defense. It was revised this past June to broaden the scope of information the government can classify under the law.

But no legal framework exists for managing sensitive data in the private sector. Japan lacks a security clearance system to limit the viewing of classified information to vetted individuals.

Businesses that work with advanced technology or in fields such as telecommunications frequently handle sensitive data. Japan "won't be trusted unless it can build a system for protecting information that covers the private sector," said Akira Igata, a visiting professor at Tama University in Tokyo.

Tokyo also needs to improve its capabilities in gathering intelligence, now handled by police, the Public Security Intelligence Agency, and the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. These agencies "pale in comparison to the CIA and MI6 in terms of budget and staffing," a senior Japanese government official said.

There may be public objections to the idea of joining a partnership known to make heavy use of wiretapping. Japan allows tapping only with a court order in the course of a criminal investigation. Such restrictions do not apply outside national borders, and there are no clear provisions in international law banning wiretapping on the high seas, for example.