Japan and US have agreed to strengthen the bilateral alliance

The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have agreed to strengthen the bilateral alliance under the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held their first telephone talks on Friday morning. The two leaders agreed that Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the US military will continue the initiatives to reinforce the alliance through joint exercises and other activities.

The initiatives include the upgrading of the respective command and control framework and expansion of the bilateral presence in Japan’s southwestern region including Okinawa Prefecture. The defense chiefs agreed that Nakatani will visit the US and the two will meet in person as soon as possible.