TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs on Saturday took a united stand against security challenges in the region, agreeing to beef up their bilateral alliance and step up involvement in the situation in the South China Sea where China's assertiveness is seen as a concern.
The meeting was the latest in a series of talks that involved U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who was the first member of the Cabinet of U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Japan.
Mattis was seen as trying to address any possible concerns Japan may have about the Trump administration, reaffirming fully the U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and even hailing at a press conference Saturday that Japan's cost-sharing burden for hosting U.S. forces is "a model" for other nations to follow.
Whether the United States will demand an increase in financial contributions has been a concern for Japan as Trump demanded during his presidential campaign that Japan, South Korea and other U.S. allies pay a larger proportion of the costs of U.S. troops deployed in these countries -- or else defend themselves.
Read the full story at The Mainichi