Washington DC, 11 January 2023 (TDI): The United States (US) and Japan will jointly co-host a meeting pertaining to the security of the Pacific region.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin will represent the US while Japan will be represented by Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, and Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu.
Both countries will discuss their shared vision of a modernized alliance that will tackle 21st-century challenges in the Indo-Pacific and around the World.
The Secretaries and Ministers will then participate in a joint Press conference at 5.00 PM EST at the Department of State.
Secretary of Defense Austin and Defense Minister Hamada will hold a meeting on bolstering integrated deterrence and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region in collaboration with partners.
The officials are also expected to discuss the issue relating to military cooperation based on both countries’ security strategies.
They will also discuss the expansion of joint use of infrastructure facilities and the development of plans for retaliatory strikes against enemy aggressions.
Furthermore, it is reported from the Japanese side that, Tokyo and Washington are planning to include the protection of key Japanese satellites in Article 5 of the bi-literal security treaty.
Likewise, the two sides will also discuss a new provision that obliges the US to come in defense of Japanese territory in case of attack.
US and Japanese officials will also discuss advanced defense cooperation in outer space and cyberspace.
Pacific Security Challenges
In recent years, amid the growing tensions of the North-Korea missiles program, China’s expansion in the Pacific, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a concerned Japan is pushing forward with upgrading the Japan-US alliance.
Japan is aiming to transform its security strategy. It is pertinent to note that, on December 23, 2022, Japan significantly increased its defense spending by $51 billion for the fiscal year 2023.
Read Also: China expresses concerns over Japan’s increasing defense budget
Since then, Japan has released three new defense documents; The National Security Strategy, The National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup program to articulate how the country will respond to security challenges in the region.
Along these lines, the US also vigorously promotes the implementation of a free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.
The US Under Secretary of the Department of State for Economic Growth, Jose Fernandez had also traveled to South Korea and Japan to participate in the Indo-pacific Business Forum with Pacific Allies and Partners.
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