TOKYO — US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth On Wednesday, I welcomed Japan’s determination to accelerate the ongoing military buildup and defense spending.
During a visit to Japan, Hegseth said he hopes to see those pledges implemented as soon as possible, pointing to China’s increasingly assertive military activity.
“The threats we face are real, and they are urgent. China’s unprecedented military buildup and aggressive military actions speak for themselves,” he said. “Make no mistake about it, our alliance is critical to deterring Chinese military aggression, responding to regional emergencies, and keeping our countries safe,” he added.
Hegseth said he was “happy” to see the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi – He speaks alongside the US President Donald Trump This week – a commitment to increase Japan’s defense spending, calling it “fantastic”.
He said that the US government did not demand that Japan increase spending.
His comment comes a day after Takaishi, who became prime minister just last week, explained to Trump during their first summit that her government would raise Japan’s defense spending to 2% of gross national product by March, two years earlier than initially planned. Japan also plans to review its current national security strategy several years ahead of schedule.
“It is an important step forward and we hope it will be implemented and we believe it will be implemented as quickly as possible,” Hegseth said in a joint press conference after his talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. “The result, through our combined strength, will deter threats.”
“We will invest now and invest quickly while we still have time,” Hegseth said.
Koizumi welcomed the agreement between the two governments to increase deliveries of US-made medium-range air-to-air missiles, or AMRAAM, although he did not provide further details.
Japan seeks to create a more self-sufficient military force as a deterrent against increasingly aggressive Chinese military activity in the region, and has also focused on strengthening defense on its southwestern islands. Japan also has concerns about rising tensions stemming from North Korea and Russia.
Japan has already ramped up the planned deployment of its medium- and long-range missiles Missiles Such as Tomahawk missiles and Japanese Tupe-12 anti-ship missiles.
These efforts represent a historic shift from Japan’s long-standing policy of limiting the use of force only to self-defense under a pacifist constitution drafted after World War II.
It departed significantly from that policy under the 2022 Security Strategy, which calls for more offensive roles for the Japan Self-Defense Forces and easing restrictions on arms exports. Takaishi’s government is also seeking to further ease arms transfers.