The US defence secretary sought to reassure his ally over security ties and promised to speed up the creation of a joint “war room” to contain China.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended his first official visit to Asia on Sunday by assuring Japan that President Trump wants a stronger military alliance in the region to contain an increasingly assertive China.
After an 85-minute meeting in Tokyo with his Japanese counterpart, Mr. Hegseth said the Trump administration would stick to its promises to boost security cooperation with its staunch ally. That would include accelerating the Biden administration’s plan to establish a new joint U.S.-Japan military command in Tokyo, which he called a “battle headquarters,” though Mr. Hegseth did not say when it would become operational. He also said there would be more joint military exercises on the Okinawa islands near Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory and has threatened to seize by force.
Mr. Hegseth traveled to Japan from the Philippines, another U.S. ally, where the defense minister also sought to allay concerns about the Trump administration’s commitment to the region. Japan has watched with concern as the United States broke with traditional allies in Europe to pursue a deal that could allow Russia to keep territory it seized from Ukraine.
Japanese officials privately worried that such concessions might encourage China to make a move on Taiwan. After meeting with General Nakatani, Japan’s defense minister, Mr. Hegseth spoke harshly of the alliance, saying the United States would work with Japan to ensure “peace through strength” that would deter the Chinese from taking action.
“America first does not mean America alone,” Mr. Hegseth told reporters. “America and Japan stand firmly together in the face of communist China’s aggressive and coercive actions.” Mr. Hegseth did not comment on concerns about his sharing of military information on the Signal chat app that the reporter was using.
