U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet with Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Wednesday in the United States to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and ways to beef up the bilateral alliance amid China's growing assertiveness, according to the Pentagon.
The meeting will take place during Kishi's trip to the United States from Tuesday to May 6, with North Korea's missile and nuclear ambitions also to be discussed, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told a news conference Friday.
Asked whether the defense chiefs will talk about concrete steps to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Kirby only said "tensions with China will absolutely be on the agenda."