On Friday, January 16, Japan and the United States reached a strategic agreement to jointly boost the production of defense equipment, including missiles, and to reinforce their military presence in southwestern Japan in response to increased pressure from the Chinese regime in the Asia-Pacific region.
The pact was finalized after a meeting in Washington between Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who also agreed to strengthen critical mineral supply chains—a key issue in light of the restrictions imposed by China.
Joint missile production and Japan–U.S. military cooperation
According to a joint statement, both countries will move forward with the joint production of air-to-air missiles and ground-to-air interceptors, as well as expand cooperation in more sophisticated and operational military exercises, especially in the southwestern region of the Japanese archipelago.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Defense Minister Koizumi to the Pentagon today. Together, as faithful and long-standing allies, we will guaranty peace thru strength”, Pete Hegseth wrote on his X account.
Tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan and rare earths
The agreement comes amid a growing diplomatic dispute between Japan and China, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a possible military intervention if China attacks Taiwan.
In response, Beijing blocked exports to Japan of “dual-use” products with potential military applications, raising alarm in Tokyo over a possible disruption in the supply of rare earths, which are essential to the technology and defense industries.
“The security environment in Asia is rapidly deteriorating”, warned Japan’s Ministry of Defense, underscoring that the Japan–U.S. alliance remains absolutely unbreakable in the face of the regional context.
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Okinawa, a key piece in Japan and the U.S.’s military strategy
The military reinforcement will focus on the region known as Southwestern Japan, which includes Okinawa, a strategic island that hosts the majority of U.S. military bases on Japanese territory.
Okinawa serves as a key monitoring point for the Chinese regime, the Taiwan Strait, and the Korean Peninsula, so both nations reiterated its importance for regional security in the Asia-Pacific.
Japan increases its military budget to record levels
As part of this strategic shift, Japan approved a record defense budget of nine trillion yen for the next fiscal year in December, the highest in its history, under the government of Sanae Takaichi.
Hegseth praised Japan’s increased military spending, calling it an approach of “hard realism and common sense” aligned with both countries’ strategic interests. The U.S. official used the name Department of War, a designation that recently replaced the traditional Department of Defense.
Japan strengthens global alliances in the face of China
Prior to the bilateral meeting, Koizumi and Hegseth participated in a joint military training session, which the Japanese minister highlighted as a symbol of the strengthening alliance.
Additionally, in Tokyo, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a summit with Sanae Takaichi, where both leaders elevated the strategic relationship between Japan and Italy, with an emphasis on economic security and critical mineral supply chains.
“We want to further strengthen the special relationship between our countries”, Takaichi said, recalling that 2026 will mark 160 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Italy.
