Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held their first in-person talks on Saturday in Naples, Italy, with the pair sharing a "strong sense of crisis," the Defense Ministry said, following “recent military moves around Japan” — a veiled reference to China’s growing assertiveness in the area.
At their meeting, the defense chiefs agreed to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance, including the effective operation of Japan’s so-called counterstrike capability, while working to improve their command-and-control frameworks, according to the ministry.
In July, the countries’ defense chiefs and top diplomats agreed to one of the biggest upgrades to the U.S.-Japan alliance since its inception, with Washington set to revamp its command in Japan, giving it a “direct leadership role” over American forces in operational planning in both peacetime and in potential crises.
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