Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen says he is scheduled to meet US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Tokyo on Sunday.
Nakatani told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Hegseth is scheduled to travel this week to Hawaii and Guam, which host US bases. He said the defense secretary will then head to the Philippines and Japan.
Nakatani said it’s very meaningful that Japan has been chosen as one of Hegseth’s destinations not long after his appointment as defense secretary.
Nakatani said he is looking forward to discussing specific efforts to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance.
He indicated that regional issues, including developments in China and North Korea, will be on the agenda.
Nakatani also mentioned Japan’s new Joint Operations Command, which was launched on Monday to unify the three branches of the Self-Defense Forces. He said he hopes to discuss strengthening cooperation and relations with the US military counterpart.
AloJapan.com