In one of the biggest upgrades to the U.S.-Japan alliance since its inception, the U.S. will create a unified command within the existing structure of its forces in Japan, the countries’ defense chiefs and top diplomats announced Sunday, as the allies’ look to counter what they say is an increasingly assertive China.
The announcement, which came after “two-plus-two” talks between Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and their U.S. counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, was among a number of fresh defense and security initiatives unveiled after the meeting, the first since January last year.
“I believe that our decisions today are at a pivotal point that will determine the future,” Kamikawa said before their meeting. “We must continuously strengthen our alliances and enhance our deterrence capabilities to uphold the existing international order.”
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