WASHINGTON: The US-Japan relationship has not changed although Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio recently replaced both the foreign and defense ministers, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.

“You saw the relationship continue to deepen and grow… And so, we’re going to continue to work closely with our Japanese counterparts to enhance that relationship,” Jean-Pierre told a press briefing.

The official avoided commenting directly on Kishida’s decision to replace HAYASHI Yoshimasa with KAMIKAWA Yoko as foreign minister and HAMADA Yasukazu with KIHARA Minoru as defense minister in his cabinet reshuffle earlier this month.

Some people well versed in Japan-US affairs have questioned Kishida’s replacement of Hayashi and Hamada, who had built trust with their US counterparts, at a time when momentum was growing for stronger US-Japan ties and trilateral relations among the two countries and South Korea.

Regarding a three-way meeting of the leaders of Japan, South Korea and China being mulled for this year, Jean-Pierre suggested that Washington will wait and see, saying that the US government “respects the ability of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interest of their people.”

JIJI Press