TOKYO: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday (December 10), who a day earlier warned American troops close to Tokyo of the menace posed by China.
Austin will meet with Ishiba after which his Japanese counterpart, General Nakatani, in what’s prone to be his final official journey to the area, as key allies put together for a brand new period formed by U.S. President-elect Donald’s “America First” insurance policies Trump.
The Pentagon chief described the menace posed by China on Monday in a speech aboard the plane service USS George Washington, stationed off the coast of Yokosuka, south of Tokyo.
“The PRC is the one nation on the earth that has the intent and, more and more, the flexibility to vary the rules-based worldwide order,” he mentioned, utilizing the initials of his full title, the People’s Republic of China.
“And so, we need to see this area, this space stay open to freedom of navigation and the flexibility to fly within the skies and worldwide airways at any time when we would like,” Austin mentioned.
“We will proceed to work with our allies and companions to make sure we are able to just do that.”
About 54,000 U.S. navy personnel are stationed in Japan, largely in Okinawa, east of Taiwan. Increased navy exercise across the self-ruled island since Monday has fueled hypothesis about drills by China, which claims Taiwan as its territory.
Austin additionally spoke concerning the state of affairs in Syria, the place Islamic rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad after many years of brutal rule.
“As this unfolds, there’s the likelihood that components within the space, such because the Islamic State, could attempt to exploit this chance and regain capabilities,” Austin mentioned, in feedback that had been echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Austin’s journey to Japan is his thirteenth go to to the Asia-Pacific area as protection secretary, in keeping with the Pentagon.
