【By Observer News, Zhang Jingjuan】"Very good." On October 29 local time, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth expressed his welcome for Japan's accelerated military construction and increased defense spending during his visit to Japan.

According to reports from the U.S. "Washington Post" and Japan's Kyodo News, Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro held his first face-to-face meeting with Hegseth, expressing his determination to continue actively increasing defense spending. The day before, President Trump of the United States and Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae of Japan had also agreed to deepen the U.S.-Japan defense relationship.

The report stated that Koizumi Shinjiro revealed in a press conference that he had informed Hegseth that the government's goal of increasing Japan's defense spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal year 2027 would be advanced to be implemented within fiscal year 2025, as well as discussing the revision of three security-related documents: the National Security Strategy and others.

He claimed that the policy of revising the three security-related documents "will further enhance Japan's defense capabilities, further strengthening the deterrent power and response capability of the U.S.-Japan alliance," and pointed the finger at China, claiming "we will closely monitor the military movements around us and respond calmly and firmly."

Regarding Japan's "active overture," Hegseth gave a high-profile response at the joint press conference. "This is an important step. We hope and believe that the relevant measures can be implemented as soon as possible. We must seize the time and immediately invest and act quickly," he said. "Through the joint efforts of both sides, we will ultimately achieve the goal of containing threats."

He told reporters that he was "happy" to see the Japanese Prime Minister and Trump jointly commit to increasing defense spending, and called this decision "very good."

Hegseth and Koizumi Shinjiro receive honors from the honor guard - Kyodo News

In speculating about China's military development and stoking the so-called "Chinese military threat," the U.S. and Japan have shown "remarkable consensus." Hegseth continued to claim, "The threats we face are real and urgent, and the U.S.-Japan alliance is crucial."

"We will stand shoulder to shoulder with Japan and continue to strengthen the alliance, taking action in a practical, firm, and reasonable manner," he also emphasized that the U.S. government did not ask Japan to increase its spending.

Koizumi Shinjiro also confirmed that during the meeting with Hegseth, the U.S. did not raise any requirements regarding defense spending, and added that all plans to enhance Japan's defense capabilities were under consideration.

At the press conference, Hegseth also said that progress had been made in establishing a new U.S. military headquarters in Japan. He said that all initial personnel for the headquarters had already been in place, and it would correspond to the newly established Japanese Joint Military Command.

In recent times, Japan has been making frequent moves to make its so-called "deterrence" take effect. According to the report, Japan has already deployed the planned "Tomahawk" cruise missiles and improved Type 12 land-based anti-ship long-range missiles. These measures reflect Japan's departure from its post-WWII "exclusive defense" policy.

Regarding Japan's accelerated military expansion and developing military forces far exceeding what is needed for "exclusive defense," Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Defense News Bureau and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, recently stated that Japan's actions have caused worldwide people who love peace to be vigilant and concerned. What does Japan intend to do?

He pointed out that 80 years ago, Japan's militarism launched an invasion war, bringing profound disasters to the people of Asian countries. 80 years later, the desire of regional countries to safeguard peace is stronger than ever, and they will not allow Japanese militarism to rise again. "We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, truly respect the security concerns of its Asian neighbors and the international community, and exercise caution in the military and security fields, avoiding repeating historical mistakes."

This article is exclusive to Observer News, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566884116633797155/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and is welcome to express your attitude below the [Up/Down] buttons.