Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada signed documents that will further strengthen the U.S.-Japanese Security Alliance.
The two men met for bilateral talks in advance of President Joe Biden meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House. That meeting caps what some in Washington are calling the month of “Japanuary” where leaders from both nations discussed Japan’s new national security strategy, national defense strategy, and plans to double Japan’s defense spending by 2027.
Austin and Hamada joined Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for the “2+2” talks.
“This year is an inflection point for our national security and defense strategies aligning closer than ever,” Austin said. “And with our shared goal of a new era of alliance modernization, I strongly support Japan’s updated national security policies, including decisions to increase defense spending [to acquiring] counterstrike capabilities.”