U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Japan next week, the Pentagon said Thursday, on a trip seen as part of efforts to reinforce the robust bilateral alliance before the end of President Joe Biden’s administration in January.
It will be Austin’s first visit to Japan since Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took office in October. It also comes amid political turmoil in South Korea, a key U.S. ally, triggered by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of emergency martial law.
Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder told a press briefing that Austin’s multiday visit to Tokyo will be his 13th trip to the Indo-Pacific since taking office in 2021.
Ryder said the upcoming visit represents the Pentagon’s “historic efforts to bolster our partnerships and alliances, and advance a shared vision of peace, security and prosperity in the region.”
Austin’s planned meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is likely to focus on major regional issues, including China’s assertive military posture and North Korea’s deepening cooperation with Russia.
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