U.S. and Japan discuss China’s ‘destabilizing’ nuclear buildup and testing

Japan and the U.S. have held regular talks on the United States’ “nuclear umbrella,” the two sides said Sunday, with discussions also focusing on China’s “destabilizing nuclear weapons buildup and testing.”

The meeting, known as the Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD), came amid growing U.S. and Japanese tensions with China over Beijing’s push to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal — an issue broached during the talks.

“The two delegations discussed China’s rapid, opaque, and destabilizing nuclear weapons buildup and testing, as well as Russia’s historical noncompliance with arms control,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. “The United States reiterated the need for multilateral strategic stability and arms control talks. Japan welcomed the U.S. intention to achieve a better agreement and emphasized the importance of involving Russia and China.”