A soldier is silhouetted as he stands at guard before Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile units at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by FRANCK ROBICHON / EPA
May 31 (Asia Today) -- The United States and Japan are moving to accelerate joint missile development and production as they expand defense cooperation aimed at countering China's military buildup.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed during talks Friday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to speed up joint missile development and production, Japan's Defense Ministry said. The two sides also discussed strengthening cooperation with Australia on missile defense information-sharing.
The talks reflected more than U.S. pressure on allies to shoulder greater defense costs. Washington needs a stronger forward deterrence network in the Indo-Pacific as China expands its military capabilities. Tokyo, meanwhile, is seeking a larger security role as it relaxes defense equipment export rules and revises key security documents.
Koizumi said the United States and Japan have a "very heavy mission" to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of their alliance. He also explained Japan's April revisions to its defense equipment transfer rules and its plan to revise three major national security documents this year.
