Japan defense min. hosts US Pacific Fleet chief

Japan's defence minister met Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sam Paparo in Tokyo on Friday. Nobuo Kishi said a U.S. naval presence was indispensable to maintain and strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific, while Paparo said the U.S.-Japan alliance was the cornerstone of security in the Pacific.

Paparo added that the tight coordination and integration of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces and U.S. navy forces have paced and outpaced the potential adversary's operation. After a decade of steady increases in military spending, Japan has pledged to further bolster its military readiness over the next five years.