An Analysis of Drivers behind American Arms Acquisitions to Japan and Taiwan
Abstract
Arms acquisitions are an important instrument used to carry out a country's national defense and foreign policy strategies. For nations with rich histories of arms acquisitions, investigating the motives that encourage purchasing arms offers a look into the states security perspectives. Within the Indo-Pacific, several countries that are closely aligned with the United States - namely Japan and Taiwan - have engaged in large volume arms sales with the U.S. in the 21st century. This thesis investigates the factors that have encouraged Japan and Taiwan to purchase American arms in an effort to determine the motives that sustain long-term arms commitments. It examines various domestic and international drivers that have both encouraged and challenged purchases of U.S. made defensive technologies. This thesis argues that both Japan and Taiwan are influenced to pursue arms acquisitions by their long-standing partnerships with the United States, as well as geopolitical security concerns especially the threat of the PRC. However, unique domestic considerations such as Japan's antimilitarism ideology and Taiwan's distinctive Cross-Strait relations have played significant roles in hampering arms acquisitions. When combined, these factors offer insights into the complexities of arms acquisitions and suggest that external factors have the greater influence on arms acquisitions versus internal factors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1212962
Entities
People
- John P. Ii Morin
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School