TOKYO — On Thursday, Japan officially launched an independent mission to the NATO military alliance, aiming to enhance collaboration amid rising tensions from Russia, China, and North Korea.

Previously, the Japanese embassy in Belgium was responsible for liaising with NATO. The new mission will be headed by Osamu Izawa, who succeeds Masahiro Mikami, the current ambassador to Belgium.

In a meeting held in Tokyo on Thursday, officials from Japan and NATO engaged in high-level discussions to address security concerns affecting East Asia and Europe, as reported by the Foreign Ministry.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the growing partnership between Moscow and Beijing, NATO has expanded its relations with Japan and three other Indo-Pacific nations: Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. However, these partnerships do not entail membership in the military alliance.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan has been an advocate for a security framework in Asia similar to NATO, although he has yet to provide specific details about such a proposal.

Amid increasing competition between the United States and China, countries sharing similar security interests are strengthening their collaborations. In contrast, Beijing has voiced concerns over NATO’s expanding connections with its Indo-Pacific partners, fearing that the U.S. might attempt to establish a NATO-like coalition in the region.