US and Japan to step up security cooperation

Agencies | Washington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The United States and Japan want to step up their security cooperation, officials from both countries said after a virtual meeting of the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee on Thursday evening.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Japan's Minister of Defence Nobuo Kishi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

They reaffirmed the critical importance of the US-Japan Alliance as "the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.", reports dpa international.

Austin and Blinken committed to continued close cooperation with their Japanese partners to modernize and strengthen the US-Japan Alliance.

It was "more important than ever" that Japan and the US "are united and show leadership" in the face of several challenges, Hayashi said in a nod to Chinese ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese news agency Kyodo cited Blinked as saying it was important to use new means to respond to threats from countries that are trying to undermine the international rules-based order, referring to China and North Korea.

On Wednesday, Japan had also agreed to strengthen military cooperation with Australia. Both US allies want to facilitate joint manoeuvres.

The US, Japan, India and Australia form the so-called Quad Group. The four countries want to expand their engagement in the Indo-Pacific, a region where China has sought to expand its influence.