Tokyo Wants Stronger Ties With Washington to Allay Security Concerns

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that Tokyo-Washington alliance is "the key to diplomacy and ensuring security" in the region, adding that Tokyo aims to further boost ties with the US.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japan appreciates the alliance with Washington and wants to further strengthen the relationship to improve regional security, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday.

"The Japanese-US alliance is the key to diplomacy and ensuring security. In the situation where the state of regional security is becoming worse, we want to further strengthen ties to Trump's administration," Suga said.

Japan and South Korea have repeatedly expressed their worries over neighboring North Korea's nuclear program.

On January 20-22, Japan, South Korea and the United States held military drills to prepare for a potential missile launch from the territory of North Korea.

On January 8, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said the country was ready to launch a ballistic missile at any time and from any location. On the same day, former diplomat at the North Korean embassy in London Thae Yong Ho, who defected to South Korea in 2016, stated that North Korea sought to complete the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the end of 2017 or in early 2018.

 

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!