U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Oct. 29 during a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, that the U.S.–Japan alliance is critical to deterring “Chinese military aggression.”
The two defense ministers held talks in Tokyo just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during which both countries signed an agreement to implement a “New Golden Age” for the U.S.–Japan alliance and secure rare earth metals and critical minerals.
At a joint news conference, Hegseth said they discussed the regional security landscape and agreed with Shinjiro’s view that the security situation around Japan and in the region remains severe….