The top U.S. diplomat has urged Japan to further strengthen its defense capabilities, in another signal that Washington is pressing Tokyo to do more after the Pentagon said last month that Japan should spend 5% of its gross domestic product on defense.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had asked Japan to beef up its capabilities during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a “Quad” summit Tuesday in Washington.
“In response, we conveyed our position that Japan will proceed with a fundamental strengthening of its defense capabilities based on its own judgment,” the Foreign Ministry quoted Iwaya as saying.
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