Abe, Mattis Agree to Strengthen Missile Defense

July 2, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis agreed Friday to strengthen the response capacity and deterrent power of the Japan-U.S. security alliance, including missile defense.

The agreement comes as Japan plans to purchase the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system from the United States and deploy it in the prefectures of Yamaguchi, western Japan, and Akita, in the northeast.

During their 50-minute talks at the prime minister's office, Abe and Mattis also reaffirmed Japan-U.S. cooperation toward the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea.

Stressing that the alliance is a cornerstone not only for Japan's peace and security but also region-wide peace, stability and prosperity, Abe expressed eagerness to closely cooperate with the United States in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to officials with access to the meeting.

Mattis replied that the United States stands firmly with Japan toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

They then agreed to aim for the abolition of all weapons of mass destruction and missiles in North Korea, as well as to promote the exchange of information in order to resolve the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea.

In addition, they shared concern over China's vigorous expansion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, the officials said.

The same day, the Pentagon head also met with his Japanese counterpart, Itsunori Onodera, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the top Japanese government spokesman, and Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

At the meeting with Onodera, Mattis reiterated that Washington is not considering withdrawing or scaling back U.S. forces in South Korea, while explaining the plan to cancel U.S.-South Korea joint military drills scheduled for August.

Meanwhile, Mattis assured that the U.S. military will steadily conduct joint drills with Japan's Self-Defense Forces.

Suga told the U.S. defense chief that Tokyo is pushing ahead with the construction of a replacement facility in the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, for the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base in another Okinawa city of Ginowan.

When Suga asked for cooperation in easing Okinawa's burden of hosting many U.S. bases, Mattis said the U.S. government will closely cooperate with the Japanese government while giving heed to relations with local people.

By emphasizing that the Japan-U.S. alliance remains solid through their meetings with Mattis, Abe and other key figures of the Japanese government tried to ease concerns over weakening of the alliance's deterrent force that have grown in Japan due to U.S. President Donald Trump's amicable attitude toward North Korea.

But whether their efforts will produce fruit is uncertain.

"Although Tokyo and Mattis are completely in line with each other, the problem is Trump," a government source said.

According to U.S. media reports, Trump has kept Mattis out of the decision-making process recently, even holding no discussion with the defense secretary in advance on the plan to cancel the U.S.-South Korea drills. Jiji Press