The "2+2" talks between the foreign ministers and defense ministers of Japan and the United States will be attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (front right), Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (left left in the picture), US Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin.
According to international media reports on the 23rd, the meeting will discuss for the first time the issue of "extended deterrence", a term used to describe the US commitment to use its nuclear forces to deter attacks on its allies.
Kyodo News reported that this will be the first ministerial meeting between the United States and Japan to discuss "expanded deterrence." In conjunction with the US-Japan "2 + 2 " talks held in Japan, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-seok will also visit Japan to hold talks between the defense ministers of the United States, Japan and South Korea.
The United States and Japan established an extended deterrence dialogue mechanism in 2010, but previous talks were at a low level. In June last year , the two sides held a meeting to discuss measures to further strengthen relevant bilateral cooperation.
This time, the US-Japan "2 + 2 " will discuss the adjustment of the command and control structure of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the US troops stationed in Japan, as well as strengthening cooperation between the US and Japan to enhance the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance in order to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The last US-Japan "2 + 2 " talks were held in Washington, the capital of the United States, in January 2023 .
Japan is the only country to have been attacked by an atomic bomb and has been committed to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism.
In April this year , Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington and jointly announced with US President Biden a historic upgrade of the US-Japan alliance to respond to growing regional threats from countries such as China, Russia and North Korea.
"Faced with growing and unprecedented threats in the region, the United States and Japan will demonstrate how we meet these challenges in a responsible way, not only ensuring Japan's defense but also contributing to regional security," Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said before the talks.
"Our treaty security commitments to Japan are unbreakable, and we are committed to using all means available to the United States, including nuclear force, to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled," Konda stressed.
"This historic 2+2 meeting will solidify the transformation of our alliance from one that protects to one that projects power," said U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel .
Japan provides a base for the United States to project its military power in Asia, with 54,000 U.S. troops, hundreds of aircraft and the United States' only forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group.