US Defense Secretary Hegseth vows to stand firmly with Japan in face of aggressive China

Record ID: 1986811

  • Title: US Defense Secretary Hegseth vows to stand firmly with Japan in face of aggressive China
  • Date: 30th March 2025
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 30, 2025) (FOREIGN POOL) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH AND JAPANESE DEFENCE MINISTER GEN NAKATANI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE / HEGSETH AND NAKATANI STANDING AT LECTERNS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING: “As you know, President Trump has said America will re-establish peace through strength. President Trump has a
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: China Japan US-Japan alliance USA defence military national security the United States
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Defence,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001277730032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Japan on Sunday (March 30) as indispensable for tackling Chinese aggression and said implementing of a plan to upgrade the U.S military command in the country would get under way.
    Calling Japan a "cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific," he said President Donald Trump’s government would continue to work closely with its key Asian ally.
    In July, then-President Joe Biden's White House announced a major revamp of the U.S. military command in Japan to deepen coordination with Tokyo's forces, as the two countries labeled China their "greatest strategic challenge."
    That change will place a combined operational commander in Japan, who would be a counterpart to the head of a joint operation command established by the Japan's Self-Defense Forces last week.
    Hegseth and Nakatani agreed to accelerate a plan to jointly produce beyond-visual-range air-to-air AMRAAM missiles and to consider collaborating on production of SM-6 surface-to-air defense missiles to help ease a shortage of munitions, Nakatani said during a news conference following the meeting with his counterpart.
    Hegseth said he asked his counterpart for greater access to Japan's strategic southwest islands, along the edge of the contested East China Sea close to Taiwan.
    (Production: Irene Wang)
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