Defense Minister Hamada had a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin and strongly condemned the recent ballistic missile launch by China, and agreed that Japan and the U.S. would work closely together to respond to any situation in the region. did.
On the morning of the 16th, Defense Minister Hamada had a telephone conversation with Secretary of Defense Austin for about 30 minutes for the first time since taking office.
At the meeting, China strongly condemned the fact that China launched ballistic missiles during military exercises on the 4th of this month, and part of them fell inside Japan's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). , Japan and the United States agreed to work closely together.
They also agreed on the importance of defense cooperation among the three countries, including South Korea, regarding the situation in North Korea.
On the other hand, Minister Hamada conveyed his intention to drastically strengthen Japan's defense capabilities through the formulation of a new National Security Strategy. .
After the meeting, Minister Hamada said, "We were able to have a candid discussion. I would like to work on strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance and maintaining and strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific."