Japan and the United States are planning to hold in mid-July the first meeting of their foreign and defense chiefs since U.S. President Donald Trump took office to discuss how to strengthen their response to North Korea's missile development, officials of the two governments say.

In the so-called two-plus-two talks, the two countries' foreign and defense chiefs are expected to meet in Washington to discuss steps to beef up a ballistic missile defense system and review the duties of the U.S. military and the Self-Defense Forces, the officials said.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, will take part in the meeting, which will be the first since April 2015.