Japan, U.S. to Hold Ministerial Security Talks on Wed.

Tokyo, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)--Foreign and defense ministers from Japan and the United States will meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen the alliance's deterrence, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Friday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Hamada at the State Department for the Security Consultative Committee meeting.

The meeting comes after the Japanese government expressed its commitment to acquire counterstrike capabilities, or the ability to hit enemy bases with missiles, late last year.

"We'll hold talks to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance's deterrence and response capabilities," Hamada told a press conference in Tokyo. "We'll work hard to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific," he said.

In a press briefing in Washington Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the two sides "will discuss our shared vision of a modernized alliance that will tackle 21st century challenges in the Indo-Pacific and around the world." He said, "The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone of a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]