US, Japan Defense Chiefs Discuss China, Boosting Japanese Capabilities - Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2021) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi during a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday discussed China's expanding activities in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to boost Japan's defense capabilities, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.

"The two leaders addressed a broad range of defense issues, to include China's growing capabilities and aggressive actions in the East and South China Seas, the threat from North Korean nuclear and missile programs, the importance of Japan's role in regional security, advanced capabilities development, building partner capacity, and enhancing multilateral cooperation," Kirby said in a readout of the meeting.

Austin reaffirmed that Washington would stand firmly opposed to any "unilateral attempts to change the status quo" in the region, including in territories such as the East China Sea and Senkaku Islands, Kirby said. The US defense chief emphasized that the defense treaty between the US and Japan applies to the islands.

"During the meeting, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the importance of the US-Japan Alliance in upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, and highlighted that the Alliance is the cornerstone of regional security and stability," the readout said. "He also emphasized the need for the Alliance to prepare for long-term challenges."

Over the past several years, China has increased its territorial and maritime claims in the Indo-Pacific region, overlapping with the interests of a number of nations. In particular, Beijing has been locked up in a dispute with Tokyo over a string of uninhabited but resource-rich islets, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China.

In addition, Beijing has boosted the scale and frequency of its military drills in the Indo-Pacific, prompting the United States and its regional allies � Japan, India and Australia � to enhance strategic cooperation within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in response.