Japan, US defence chiefs agree to boost deterrence amid China clout

• Japan and the US agreed to boost defence investment and stay aligned to strengthen deterrence against China’s growing military activity.
• They will work on an “effective denial defence in the First Island Chain”, covering Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, the US Defence Department said.
• Koizumi also briefed Hegseth on Japan’s security strategy review, while both sides will keep talking after a US Marine was arrested in Okinawa.

TOKYO – Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth agreed on Oct 28 in the Philippines the importance of increased defence investment and continued strategic alignment to strengthen the deterrence of the bilateral security alliance amid rising military activities by China.

The ministers agreed on efforts to “implement an effective denial defence in the First Island Chain”, an area east of China’s coast that includes Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, according to the US Defence Department.

Koizumi, who is visiting Cebu to attend ASEAN-related defence gatherings, briefed Hegseth on ongoing work to update Japan’s security strategy and related documents by the end of 2026.

The two defence chiefs also confirmed that talks will continue on preventive measures following the arrest of a US Marine earlier in October on suspicion of robbing and murdering a woman in Okinawa Prefecture.

Also on Koizumi’s itinerary on Oct 28 are other bilateral and multinational gatherings on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

He will attend the meeting’s expanded version slated for Oct 29, which is expected to bring together representatives of the 11 members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations and its eight dialogue partners, also including Australia, China, India, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia. KYODO NEWS