The United States hopes to work with Japan to further advance the "Quad" group under presumptive next Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks suggested Friday.
The Quad groups four Indo-Pacific democracies — the U.S., Japan, Australia and India — and is seen as a counter to China's growing assertiveness in the region.
Noting that the United States has a "very enduring and durable alliance" with Japan, Hicks told an online event organized by a Washington think tank, that the U.S. looked forward to continued close ties.