US Defense Minister Higseth House On Sunday, it announced a plan to upgrade the US military leadership in Japan, a country that it described as indispensable in combating Chinese aggression.
“Our partner is indispensable” in “deterring” deterring “deterring” deterring “deterring the Chinese communist military aggression,” said Japanese Defense Secretary of Defense, adding that Japan is “our partner who is indispensable” in “deterring” deterring “deterring” deterring “deterrence of the Chinese communist military aggression,” including through the Taiwan Strait.
Higseth said that Japan is “the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indian Pacific Ocean” and that the Trump administration will continue to work closely with the Asian state.
Beit Higseth, US Secretary of Defense, and General Nakatani, Japan's Minister of Defense, is escalating while accepting pictures before their meeting with the Tokyo Ministry of Defense, Japan, on Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Reuters)
Last year, then the administration of its president, Joe Biden, announced a major restructuring of the US military leadership in Japan to deepen coordination with the country's forces, as the two allies allied to China as “the biggest strategic challenge”.
Change will put a joint operating commander in Japan, which will be the counterpart of the head of the joint operations leadership established by the martial forces in Japan.
The Great Hegseth Praise of Japan contrasts with his criticism of European allies in February, where he told them that they should not assume that the American presence in the region would continue forever.
Beit Higseth, US Secretary of Defense, and General Nakatani, Japanese Defense Minister, meet at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump She complained that the bilateral defense treaty pledged by the US government to defend Japan is not mutual. During his first term, Trump said Japan should excel more money to host American forces.
Japan hosts 50,000 American military personnel, swarms of combat aircraft and the only aircraft carrier group that has been deployed forward along the 1900 -mile East Asian archipelago that moves in Chinese military power.
This comes at a time when Japan doubled military spending, including money to buy long -range missiles. But the operational scope of its forces is limited to its constitution from the United States-which is approved after its defeat in World War II-which gives up the right to start the war.
Beit Higseth, US Secretary of Defense, and General Nakatani, Japanese Defense Minister, will attend a joint press conference at the Tokyo Ministry of Defense, Japan, on Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Reuters)
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Nakatani said that Higseth and Natani agreed to accelerate a plan for a joint production between the prince's air missiles to the visual range and think together about the production of SM-6 surface defense missiles to support a deficiency of ammunition.
The Pentagon President said he asked Nakatani to reach more access South West Strategy Japan IslandsAlong the edge of the disputed eastern Sea of China near Taiwan.
On his first official visit to Asia, Higseth traveled to Japan from the Philippines.
On Saturday, I attended a memorial service on Iwo Jima, the fighting site between us and the Japanese forces 80 years ago.
Reuters contributed to this report.
