US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meets Japan Prime Minister in Tokyo

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Sunday. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on Japan-U.S. security and defense cooperation for strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Alliance.

The US defense chief said he was confident that Japan would make the "correct determination" of its military capabilities, amid expectations that Washington wants Tokyo to increase spending. Prime Minister Ishiba stated that Japan would like to work together with the United States to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific".