Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has met with Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani in Singapore. The two met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major annual forum for key leaders in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss security challenges and opportunities.
Secretary Carter thanked Minister Nakatani for his continued support of the U.S.-Japan alliance. The two leaders discussed a wide range of regional and global security issues, including implementation of the new Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation. They agreed that the new guidelines had already established a stronger alliance, prepared to overcome the challenges of the twenty-first century security environment.
Secretary Carter and Minister Nakatani also exchanged views on the ongoing negotiations for a new Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement, on recent progress regarding bilateral space and cyber security cooperation, and on Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
The secretary expressed his gratitude to Minister Nakatani for Japanese efforts to move forward with the Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF), and reiterated the U.S. commitment to closing MCAS Futenma as soon as the FRF is operational.
Related Link: Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Cyber Defense Policy Working Group (Word Doc)