The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have held a meeting in Tokyo. They apparently exchanged opinions over efforts to bolster the bilateral alliance through better coordination between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the US military.
Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met on Sunday morning. It was their first in-person meeting.
At the outset of the talks, Nakatani said he was happy to welcome Hegseth to the Ministry of Defense, and expressed hope that Japan and the US will continue to work closely together toward a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The SDF recently launched the Joint Operations Command, which unifies all of its branches under a single command with the aim of upgrading the coordinated command and control between the two countries.
During their meeting, Nakatani and Hegseth are believed to have discussed the establishment of a joint force headquarters which will give US forces in Japan authorization to have operational command as well.
The two are also believed to have covered increasing the bilateral presence in the southwestern region of Japan through joint exercises and other activities, as China steps up military activities in the East China Sea.
They apparently reaffirmed that Japan and the US will deepen cooperation in equipment and technology.
In addition, Nakatani and Hegseth are believed to have discussed security cooperation in the space and cyber fields.
The two are scheduled to hold a joint news conference after their meeting.
AloJapan.com