Motegi plans a visit to the United States in February to boost the alliance amid concerns from China

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi plans to visit the United States, possibly in mid-February, for talks with his new counterpart, Antony Blinken, government sources said Wednesday.

In a phone call hours after Blinken won Senate confirmation as US Secretary of State, Motegi said they agreed to strengthen the alliance between the two countries and achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific, sharing the view that the security situation regional is becoming more and more. serious.

“His conversations with Japan, with myself, were second only to Canada. This is proof that the (President Joe) Biden administration and Secretary of State Blinken value the importance of the Japan-US alliance and are committed to the Indo-Pacific region, ”Motegi told reporters.

Motegi said he agreed with Blinken that preparations should begin for them to meet in person in the United States at an early date for more in-depth discussions.

Japan is eager to coordinate with Blinken, who has said it will work with US partners to target China and vowed to review the entire approach to North Korea, particularly Japan and South Korea.

Motegi told a parliamentary session that he agreed with Blinken that the policy of pushing North Korea’s denuclearization remains unchanged and that the imposition of UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang to that end is extremely important.

Motegi also said he won Blinken’s backing for Japan’s push for a swift resolution of the problem of the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Foreign Ministry said it will take into account the Biden administration’s priority in efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic and the timing of Japan’s ongoing Diet session, which requires the minister’s assistance, when organizing the visit of Motegi, sources said.

In telephone conversations, Motegi welcomed the assertion by the new US administration that the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are subject to a bilateral security treaty, as expressed by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. on Sunday and again Blinken on Wednesday.

China claims sovereignty over the uninhabited islands, calling them Diaoyu, and has repeatedly intruded into the Japanese waters around them, sparking protests in Tokyo.

In the first ministerial talks since Biden’s inauguration on January 20, Austin assured his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi on Sunday that Article 5 of the security pact applies to the Senkakus, meaning that Washington will defend Tokyo’s interests. in the event of an armed attack on the islets. .

Blinken highlighted the importance of continued cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea and highlighted Biden’s promise to strengthen America’s alliances and engage with the world, according to the U.S. State Department.

Blinken also said on Twitter that the “US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

In the talks, which lasted around 30 minutes, Motegi and Blinken also affirmed close coordination between Japan, the United States, Australia and India to address the challenges in their region and the international community, according to the Foreign Ministry.

They pledged to jointly address the pandemic, climate change and other global issues and to revitalize the framework of the Group of Seven major economies that includes the two countries, the ministry said.

The two agreed to coordinate closely to reach an agreement at an early date on a replacement cost-sharing agreement to host US troops in Japan, the ministry said. The current five-year agreement will expire in March.