Japan’s next security challenge: Who builds Asia’s nuclear reactors
Every reactor Beijing or Moscow builds creates a relationship that can last for generations, binding countries through fuel supplies, financing, maintenance and political ties.
Japan's most pressing strategic concern might not stem from missile threats or naval forces. Instead, it could be the actors behind the construction of Asia's power plants. As China's military presence expands across the Indo-Pacific, it is also subtly extending its reach through civil nuclear exports. Each reactor built by Beijing or Moscow establishes enduring ties that can span generations, linking nations through fuel provisions, financing, maintenance, technical specifications, and political affiliations.
In an environment of escalating great-power rivalry, exporting a nuclear power plant is more akin to securing geopolitical influence than merely selling infrastructure. This reality sheds light on why the United States, Japan, and South Korea recently established a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at collectively exporting small modular reactors, or SMRs, throughout the Indo-Pacific.
On the surface, this appears to be an energy deal. However, it is fundamentally a strategic move in response to China's rising regional influence and a recognition that Japan's security is not solely dependent on military alliances but also on the entities that shape the region's essential infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
