Japan won't join NATO, but local office considered, PM Kishida says

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a bilateral meeting held by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres (not pictured), on the sideline of the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, western Japan May 21, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/Pool

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday said the country had no plans to become a NATO member but acknowledged the security alliance's plan to open a liaison office in Japan.

Kishida's comments came after the Japanese ambassador to the United States earlier this month said that the U.S.-led military pact was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region.