Tokyo: Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held telephone talks Thursday and agreed to promote discussions on the roles, missions and capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, with a view to effectively operating counterstrike capabilities.

Kihara and Austin also agreed to work on strengthening the alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities.

“We had a meaningful discussion,” Kihara told reporters after the talks with Austin. “I want to work with the U.S. defense secretary to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance,” he added.

The talks were the first between Kihara and Austin since Kihara took office earlier this month.

Kihara plans to visit the United States in early October and hold face-to-face talks with Austin.

During Thursday’s phone talks, the two affirmed close cooperation to deter any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific region, with an eye on an increasingly assertive China.

They also agreed to promote trilateral defense cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea to better counter North Korea, which is developing its nuclear and missile capabilities.

JIJI Press