US-Japan security talks focus on bolstering military cooperation amid rising China threat

Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for security talks aimed at further bolstering their military cooperation, including by upgrading U.S. forces command and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan. The allies increasingly operate together amid a rising threat from China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the “2+2” security talks, to reaffirm their alliance following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the November presidential race. They will hold their first talks on the U.S. commitment to “extended deterrence,” which includes nuclear weapons.