Japan, U.S. Defense Chiefs Reaffirm Close Cooperation

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday reaffirmed close cooperation between their countries under the bilateral alliance.

They met for some 50 minutes at the U.S. Defense Department in a Washington suburb. Asked by reporters whether responses to China were discussed, Koizumi said, "I can't comment on details."

China has increased pressure on Japan following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November regarding a possible contingency over Taiwan. In addition, Chinese military aircraft used radar on Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets last month, an incident that heightened tensions between the East Asian nations.

Under the circumstances, one of the focuses at the Koizumi-Hegseth meeting was whether Tokyo would be able to gain U.S. support over issues related to China.

"We reconfirmed the important role played by the Japan-U.S. alliance for the deterrence against invasion in the Indo-Pacific region," Koizumi told reporters.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]