Defense Minister Kihara is making arrangements to visit the United States for the first time next week and meet with Secretary of Defense Austin, and will exchange views on the division of roles between Japan and the United States in line with the drastic strengthening of defense capabilities and a new intelligence-sharing mechanism in the event of a missile launch by North Korea.
According to a Ministry of Defense official, Defense Minister Kihara is coordinating to visit Washington in the United States next week and meet with Secretary of Defense Austin.
At the meeting, we will exchange views on the division of roles between Japan and the U.S., based on the "counterattack capability" that can attack the other party's missile launch bases and the fundamental strengthening of defense capabilities that Japan is promoting.
I would also like to confirm that we will start a mechanism for immediately sharing information on ballistic missile launches by North Korea among the three countries, including the Republic of Korea, by the end of this year.
In addition, we have confirmed that we will work closely with China, which is strengthening its maritime advances, and Russia, which continues its military invasion of Ukraine.
Minister Kihara, who took office following the Cabinet reshuffle, is expected to make his first overseas visit to the United States, aiming to appeal the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance both at home and abroad.