Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday pledged to beef up Japan's alliance with the United States while strengthening the country's defense capabilities to ensure peace in the Indo-Pacific region, amid China's growing military clout.
"We will further boost the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, and for that purpose, Japan will need to strengthen its defense capabilities fundamentally," Hayashi said in a speech laying out the government's foreign policy vision and priorities at the opening of a regular parliament session.
"The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Hayashi said.