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Updated December 15th, 2021 at 21:20 IST

Japan's Defence Min, FM likely to meet Blinken & Austin in US on January 7: Report

Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi likely to hold ministerial talks with Blinken and Austin on 7 January in Washington.

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
US
Image: AP | Image:self
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Japan is preparing for Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi's visit to the United States in January for a two-plus-two meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. Japan and the United States are likely to hold ministerial talks on January 7 in Washington. During the ministerial talks, both sides will be discussing security issues, Kyodo News reported citing officials familiar with the plan. 

Reportedly, the decision to hold the meeting has been taken amid growing concern over China’s assertiveness in the East and South China seas, military pressure on Taiwan and North Korea's missile threats. Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi will speak to Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin over the areas where the two countries can work in order to strengthen their security alliance. In order to tackle China’s military expansion, both sides will discuss areas of deepening ties in areas like space and cybersecurity. 

Japan-US likely to hold 2+2 talks

Furthermore, they will hold talks over Japan's budget for hosting US armed forces, Kyodo News reported citing officials. It will be the two-plus-two talks between Japan and the US after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida assumed office. Before the meeting, the Japanese Foreign minister is expected to attend a UN review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York in January, Kyodo News reported citing officials. The report of the two-plus-two meeting comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on the sidelines of the G7 meeting. 

Antony Blinken meets Yoshimasa Hayashi

Antony Blinken met Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi on December.11 in Liverpool, UK. During the meeting, both sides reiterated the importance of US-Japan to promote peace, security, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and discussed various global and regional issues. Taking to Twitter, Antony Blinken shared two pictures of his meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister. Furthermore, he informed that they looked forward to strengthening ties on issues like COVID-19, the climate crisis. According to the US State Department press release, Blinken highlighted the importance of US-Japan-Republic of Korea cooperation for maintaining a "free, open, interconnected, prosperous, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region."

 

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Published December 15th, 2021 at 21:20 IST

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