“Japan is an essential partner in deterring communist military attacks,” Hegses said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses said on March 30 that Japan is essential to combating China’s invasion in the South Pacific and will soon begin plans to strengthen US US commanders.
“We share the warrior spirit that defines the army,” Hegses told Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani at a meeting in Tokyo. “Japan is an essential partner in deterring communist Chinese military attacks,” he added, including the entire Taiwan Strait.
Japan is the “cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegses said, adding that the Trump administration will continue to work closely with its important Asian allies.
In July 2024, the Biden administration announced a major strengthening of Japan’s US military headquarters to strengthen coordination with the country’s military. Both countries view China as “the biggest strategic challenge.”
The latest move will involve an integrated operational commander in Japan. That role includes being part of the responsible party for the joint operation command created by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces last week.
President Donald Trump has characterized the bilateral defense treaty, which the US vows to protect Japan as uncooperative, and in his first term the country should pay more for US military support.
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Along the 1,900-mile East Asian archipelago blocking 50,000 US military personnel, a squadron of fighter jets, and a 1,900-mile East Asian archipelago, Japan’s only future deployed aircraft airline strike group.
Japan has also doubled its military spending and purchased long-range missiles. However, the scope of the state’s military operation is limited to a constitution of scale by the United States, which was implemented after the defeat in World War II, and waived Japan’s right to declare war.
Hegseth and Nakatani have approved a rapid tracking of plans to work together to develop Amraam missiles in the air beyond visual range and consider co-generating SM-6 surface-to-air defense missiles to strengthen the ammunition deficit, Nakatani said.
Hegses added that he asked Nakatani to increase entry to Japan’s strategic southwestern island, located on the edge of the contested East China Sea near Taiwan.
This is Hegses’ first official visit to Asia to travel from the Philippines to Japan. On Saturday, the Secretary of Defense attended the Iwo Jima service ceremony, a place of fierce battles between us and the Japanese forces 80 years ago during World War II.
Reuters contributed to this report.
