Japan Says No Shift in Alliance Despite U.S. Budget Cut Plans

Japan has pledged to remain committed to enhancing the deterrence and response capabilities of its alliance with the US, despite media reports indicating that Washington could halt the expansion of its forces in the country as part of defense spending cuts, Kyodo News reported.

There has been increased cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces and the US military to better address security threats posed by North Korea and China in recent years. I Photo: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Flickr

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that there was "no change" to the bilateral plan confirmed when Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump met in February, noting that "further efforts are necessary to strengthen the alliance."

Earlier this week, CNN and NBC News reported that the Trump administration was reconsidering the plan based on a Pentagon briefing document, a move that could save around $1 billion.

In recent years, there has been increased cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces and the US military to better address security threats posed by North Korea and China.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government’s top spokesman, echoed Nakatani's view, emphasizing the importance of a strong bilateral alliance amid the severe security environment in the region, Mainichi Japan also reported.