Tokyo (dpa) – US Defence Secretary James Mattis and his Japanese counterpart Tomomi Inada on Saturday agreed to beef up their countries’ military cooperation, amid nuclear threats from North Korea and growing tensions with China.
The US-Japan security alliance was “a cornerstone for peace, prosperity and freedom” in the Asia-Pacific region, said Mattis on a visit to Tokyo, pledging to work closely with Japan to develop a good relationship.
“It is extremely important for the alliance to be strong as the security environment in the Asia-Pacific region becomes more severe,” Inada added.
The two are both concerned about Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programmes. The reclusive state carried out two nuclear tests and launched some 20 ballistic missiles in 2016 alone.
Japan and South Korea have also been unnerved by US President Donald Trump, who questioned the value of US alliances in the region while campaigning for president.
But on Friday the new Pentagon chief, who was in Seoul before flying to Tokyo, reassured them of Washington’s commitment to them, warning Pyongyang that any attack on the US or its allies would be “met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming.”
On Saturday, Mattis offered further reassurances to Inada, according to the Japanese Defence Ministry, saying that the US defence commitment covered a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea.
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Jim Mattis, the new defense secretary, says U.S. is "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan https://t.co/ycSmyD09RT pic.twitter.com/XGXhfFpd5P
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) February 4, 2017
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