Photo/Illutration U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, visits Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in his office in Tokyo on Dec. 10. (Takeshi Iwashita)

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed the progress made in the U.S.-Japan alliance under the Biden administration with Japanese leaders on Dec. 10 in Tokyo.

Austin met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on likely his last official Asia trip ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

The leaders also discussed the ongoing political turmoil in South Korea following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law last week.

"One week can drastically change the world. No one expected South Korea to be in such a situation," Ishiba said.

Austin expressed his gratitude for Ishiba’s steady support during a time of dynamic change.

“And may our alliance remain the cornerstone of peace and stability in this region for the foreseeable future,” he said.

This marks Austin's first visit to Japan since Ishiba took office in October and is likely to be the last during the Biden administration.

Although Austin had initially planned to visit South Korea alongside Japan to discuss trilateral security cooperation, these plans were scrapped due to the  political turmoil in Seoul.

In the following meeting with Nakatani, Austin emphasized the importance of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to the Defense Ministry.

Nakatani expressed significant concern about the situation in Seoul, saying that close attention needs to be paid to the developments.

The two defense chiefs reaffirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the three countries.

This marked their fourth meeting, including a phone call, since October.

They also discussed the U.S. military's decision to pause the flights of Osprey transport aircraft, including those deployed in Japan, following a recent near crash at a U.S. base in New Mexico. 

Nakatani requested further information on this matter and both sides agreed to closely coordinate on the issue.

The trilateral relationship between Japan, the United States and South Korea has seen significant progress in recent years, particularly after Japan-South Korea ties improved rapidly under Yoon, who assumed office in 2022.

This has led to strengthened security cooperation, including real-time sharing of radar information on North Korean missiles.

In November, leaders from the three countries met in Lima, Peru, and agreed to establish the "Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat" to enhance defense collaboration.

Under the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, there has been a coordinated push to formalize trilateral cooperation. However, the recent political instability in South Korea has raised concerns about the future of these efforts.

"The latest defense chief talks demonstrate the unwavering importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance, particularly during South Korea’s political instability " a senior ministry official said.

But the ministry has concerns about the future of the trilateral relations, particularly given the expected return of Trump's unilateral diplomatic approach.

"A potential leadership change in South Korea could undo the recent progress made in trilateral cooperation," the official said.

Related News