Japan-U.S. Defense Ministerial Meeting (summary)
August 29, 2020
Ministry of Defense
On August 29, 2020, Minister Kono and Secretary Esper held a meeting at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam for approximately 120 minutes from 14:30 (ChST). The summary is as follows.
1 Regional affairs The Ministers discussed the latest situation in the Indo-Pacific region. The Ministers affirmed their position that they oppose to unilateral attempts to change the status-quo by coercion in the East and South China Seas, and that it is important to work together to make sure that Rule of Law and Freedom of Navigation are firmly established. The Ministers also concurred that they will cooperate even more closely to ensure peace and stability in the East China Sea, and reconfirmed that Article V of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands and that both nations oppose to any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan’s administration on these islands. In addition, the Ministers reaffirmed the significance of strengthening the cooperation with various partners both in and out of the region through measures such as bilateral or multilateral exercises and capacity building assistance to maintain and strengthen a Free and Open Indo-Pacific with Japan and the U.S. as the cornerstone. The Ministers discussed the latest situation concerning the issue of North Korea in light of the recent development and confirmed that repeated ballistic missile launches by North Korea are a serious challenge not only to Japan but also to the international community. The Ministers confirmed the importance of full implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions for a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all North Korea’s WMD and ballistic missiles of all ranges. The Ministers also agreed that Japan and the United States will continue working together with partner countries to counter illicit ship-to-ship transfers of goods by North Korea.
2 Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation The Ministers affirmed that both countries play an even bigger role in ensuring peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region with an outlook on the post-COVID-19 era. The Ministers confirmed to closely work together to further
strengthen the Alliance capability to deter and respond in order to materialize aligned strategies of both countries. As part of such measures, the Ministers agreed on the necessity of strengthening the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capabilities and ISR capabilities based on the increased military activities and development of military technology of surrounding countries.
3 The U.S. Forces in Japan The Ministers confirmed the progress of the Guam Relocation and welcomed its steady development. The Ministers confirmed that the relocation to Henoko-saki is the only solution to avoid the continued use of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma. Minister Kono requested for cooperation in the efforts to mitigate the impact on the local communities including Okinawa. The Ministers agreed that both countries will closely cooperate with each other in other projects as well in order to steadily progress the U.S. forces realignment. The Ministers affirmed that both countries will closely cooperate to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 and alleviate its impact. The Ministers reaffirmed that it is important to sustain the operational readiness of the U.S. Forces in Japan, and Japan and the U.S. continue to work together with the shared recognition that understanding and cooperation from local communities is crucial for maintenance of the operational readiness. The Ministers affirmed the importance to ensure the safe operations of the U.S. Forces.
