US Defense Secretary: "The US-Japan Alliance is the Cornerstone for Addressing Threats"

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense
Stated this during the U.S.-Japan Defense Ministers Meeting

▲Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense, arriving at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense, who visited Tokyo, Japan as the first stop of his four-day visit to Korea and Japan, said on the 16th, "The U.S.-Japan alliance will continue to be the cornerstone for maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and responding to threats."

According to Kyodo News and others, Secretary Austin made this statement at the U.S.-Japan Defense Ministerial Meeting held at the Japanese Ministry of Defense that afternoon.

Nobuo Kishi, Japan's Minister of Defense who attended the meeting as the Japanese representative, emphasized Austin's choice of Japan as his first overseas trip destination, calling it "a strong message demonstrating the solidity of the Japan-U.S. alliance."

Before the meeting, Secretary Austin reviewed the Self-Defense Forces at the Ministry of Defense.

From that afternoon, the U.S. and Japan held the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2) meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Minister Kishi.

Having arrived in Japan the previous day, Secretaries Blinken and Austin are scheduled to move to Korea on the 17th and hold the Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense (2+2) Ministerial Meeting with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook on the 18th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.