The Taiwan issue and denuclearization of North Korea were the focus of bilateral talks on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
The United States and Japan on Wednesday, Jan. 11, demonstrated their "strategic alignment" on defense issues, which extends to space as well, in the face of growing concerns about China and tensions over Taiwan and North Korea.
"We agree that China represents the most significant strategic challenge" for both countries, U.S. diplomatic chief Anthony Blinken said after meeting in Washington with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and the heads of U.S. and Japanese defense agencies. Speaking at a joint news conference, Blinken said the U.S. "warmly welcomes" Japan's new defense posture and noted that the security and defense agreement between the two countries extends to space.
In December, Japan approved a major overhaul of its defense doctrine, including a significant increase in military spending over five years. This is a crucial turning point for a country whose pacifist constitution, adopted after its defeat at the end of World War II, forbids it in principle to have a real army.
The issue of Taiwan and the denuclearization of North Korea were also central to the talks, officials said. North Korean missiles and China's "growing belligerent behavior" require "showing that you have the means to deter any potential adversary," a senior U.S. diplomat said on condition of anonymity before the meeting. "The Japanese don't want to go down the path of nuclear weapons, and we don't support that idea either, but having the ability to strike back is what deterrence is," he said.