US to announce on - later today a major overhaul of its military command structure in Japan and other measures to deepen defense ties with the Asian ally at high-level security talks in Tokyo, a US official said, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
The major changes will come as Tokyo seeks to establish a new joint military headquarters to oversee the armed forces by March, to better coordinate with Washington given growing regional threats from China and North Korea.< /p>
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara later in the day.
Austin and Kihara also met their South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik today.
„Secretary Austin will announce that the US intends to reorganize US forces in Japan as a joint force headquarters under Commander INDOPACOM (United States Indo-Pacific Command)". This was stated by an American representative at a briefing before the talks.
The command will be led by a three-star general, the official said, rather than the four-star that Japan has requested.
For the first time, US-Japan ministerial talks will also cover ``extended deterrence,'' a term describing the US commitment to use its nuclear forces to deter attacks against allies.
Japan provides a base for the US to direct its military forces in Asia. It has 54,000 US troops, hundreds of US aircraft and a strike group on a front-line aircraft carrier.
Pressed by China's growing military might, Japan is retreating from decades of postwar pacifism. In 2022, Tokyo unveiled a plan to double defense spending to 2% of GDP.
Washington wants to use Japanese industry to help ease pressure on American defense companies, resulting from increased demand because of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Last month, Tokyo and Washington began talks on deepening defense industry cooperation under the US-Japan Defense Industry Cooperation, Acquisition and Sustainment Forum, established in April by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden.
After the talks in Tokyo, Blinken and Austin will hold security talks in Manila, with another ally – The Philippines.
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