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| On the 16th, Defense Minister Lloyd Austin (left) and US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln (center), who are visiting Japan, met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (right). © Reuters = News 1 |
The NHK reported on the 16th that US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin were visiting Japan during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
They met at the residence of Prime Minister Suga that night and confirmed the importance of maintaining and developing a’free and open Indo-Pacific region’ led by both the United States and Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimit Motegi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimit Motegi also attended the meeting.
At this meeting, Prime Minister Suga said, “The two ministers visited Japan for the first time overseas after the commencement of their term of office, and that after the US President Joe Biden declared’the return of the United States’, promoting a policy that emphasizes relations with allies. We sincerely welcome you,” he said.
The three men agreed to maintain and develop the free and open Indo-Pacific region, as well as strengthen the deterrent and responsiveness of war through the US-Japan alliance.
It also expressed serious concern over the continuing unilateral attempts to change its current state in the East China Sea and South China Sea through maritime police laws and the like.
The three agreed to continue to cooperate with the United States and Japan to keep an eye on the situation in North Korea through close cooperation and to cooperate to resolve the issue of the North Korean abduction of Japanese citizens immediately.
Prime Minister Suga pointed out that the understanding of local residents is essential for the stable presence of US troops in Japan.
In addition, he stressed that it is important to steadily implement measures to reduce the burden on Okinawa and other regions while maintaining the war deterrence power of the US-Japan alliance.
In a statement released immediately after the meeting, the three said, “At this meeting, Prime Minister Suga and two Ministers Blincoln and Austin emphasized that the US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
It also added that they exchanged opinions on North Korea’s response to nuclear threats, recovery from Corona 19, and response to climate change.
Secretary Blincoln and Secretary Austin said, “The United States opposes any unilateral attempt to change the current state of the East China Sea, reaffirming its firm obligation to protect Japanese territories, such as the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name Diaoyudao), based on Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty. “Said.