Page 10 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Section 1 Global Security Environment

Amid persistent security threats fueled by traditional conflict factors, such as territorial, religious and ethnic
disputes, transnational and nonmilitary threats have been gaining ground worldwide. By jointly responding to
various security threats, such as terrorism, cyberattacks, and infectious diseases, countries around the globe
are strengthening international cooperative efforts to contribute to regional stability and world peace.

1. Persisting Security Threats from Traditional Causes of
Conflict

Traditional causes of conf lict such as territorial, religious and ethnic disputes continue to

present threats to security worldwide.
In East Asia, the United States is building a cooperative system with its allies and partners
to counter the expanding inf luence of China and Russia, and respond to security threats. In
response to China’s pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative, the United States is in the process

of developing a concrete version of the Indo-Pacif ic Strategy 1) , centered on cooperation with
Japan, Australia, and India.
Europe faces various internal and external challenges including a massive inf lux of refugees

from Syria and North Africa, terrorist threats, and the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the
European Union (EU). The EU has been seeking to resolve the refugee problem through the
introduction of the refugee quota system, but discord among EU member states persists amid

the rise of far-right parties supported by the proliferation of anti-EU, anti-Islam, and anti-
refugee sentiments. Anti-Islam and anti-immigration sentiments in the region continue to grow

1) Since US President Donald Trump presented a “free and open Indo-Pacific initiative” during his tour to Asia in
November 2017, the United States has been developing it into a more concrete “Indo-Pacific Strategy.”

8 Chapter 1 Changes and Challenges in the Security Environment