Japan, Us Reaffirm Alliance At 2 - Plus - 2 Meeting
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a series of meetings in Tokyo on Tuesday, as part of their very first overseas trip.
The choice to travel to Tokyo underscores the weight the Biden administration is giving to Asian alliances, particularly as recent moves by China spark concerns in the US.
Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo met together with Blinken and Austin.
According to a document issued after the meeting, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, as well as to a rules-based international order.
The document says China's actions that do not meet with the existing international order are posing political, economic, military and technical challenges to the Japan-US alliance and the global community.
It says the two countries are opposed to any action that undermines regional stability.
The document refers to concerns over human rights conditions in China, the country's growing maritime assertiveness and its new coast guard law.
The US foreign and defense chiefs later held a joint news conference to lay out the results of their discussions.