On what is likely to be his last visit to Japan as U.S. defense secretary, Ash Carter offered reassurances to Tokyo on Wednesday that the U.S. remains committed to the alliance and the broader Asia-Pacific region amid fears of an American pullback by President-elect Donald Trump.

Carter met with Defense Minister Tomomi Inada in Tokyo, where the two reviewed the progress the alliance has made under the leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama during his eight years in office.

Carter, who kicked off his final Asia tour a day earlier in Japan, repeatedly emphasized that the alliance remains "stronger than ever," and that the U.S. is committed to the region — an apparent allusion to Trump's comments on the utility of the U.S. alliance system. Those remarks have stoked concerns about U.S. security guarantees across the globe.