Tokyo (AP) In a meeting with Japanese officials Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will reiterate the value of their alliance and the United States’ commitment to regional security in the face of growing threats from North Korea and China.
Austin’s visit also coincides with mounting worries over the safety of Osprey military planes, which have been suspended in the US after a near-crash at New Mexico’s Cannon Air Force Base last month. The incident was identical to a deadly crash off the southwest coast of Japan last year and was caused by deteriorated metal components.
The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force’s Ospreys have not been impacted by the U.S. measure. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said reporters on Tuesday that Japanese officials are talking with the U.S. military about the matter and will react suitably.
According to Japanese sources, Austin will meet separately with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishibalater and his Japanese counterpart Gen. Nakatani on Tuesday.
As regional tensions rise, Nakatani told reporters that collaboration between Japan and the United States, as well as with South Korea and other allies, is crucial.
Under President Joe Biden’s leadership, the trilateral alliance between South Korea, the United States, and Japan has grown considerably, but it now confronts additional uncertainty due to the country’s continuous political upheaval.
Austin welcomed the crew of the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered flagship aircraft carrier, to the U.S. Navy port at Yokosuka, which is close to Tokyo, on Monday.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Austin highlighted China as the only nation in the globe with the intention and capacity to alter the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the need of U.S. collaboration with allies and partners in the area.
According to the military department’s website, Austin stated, “We want to see this region remain open to freedom of navigation and the ability to fly the skies in international airways.”
To make sure we can accomplish that, we will collaborate with partners and allies, he continued.
The cutting-edge F-35C stealth combat aircraft squadron, presently stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in the southern Japanese prefecture of Yamaguchi, will be transported by the U.S. carrier, which is undergoing maintenance in Yokosuka.
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