U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has welcomed Japan's commitment to accelerate its military buildup and defense spending

Trump met with new Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who heralded the start of a “new golden age” in the bilateral relationship following tricky trade talks.

TOKYO: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday (Oct 29) the Japan-US alliance was "critical to deterring Chinese military aggression", as his Japanese counterpart confirmed plans to accelerate a defence spending target.

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces significant foreign policy challenges just days after taking office. She plans to meet with U.S.

China and Japan agreed on Tuesday to advance constructive and stable bilateral relations as Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, a week after the inauguration of Japan's new cabinet.

U.S. President Donald Trump received a royal welcome on Monday in Japan, the latest leg of a five-day Asia trip which he hopes to cap with an agreement on a trade war truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's newly elected first female prime minister, is an unabashedly conservative icon of Japanese politics. Her election is set to change East Asia.

Trump is in South Korea, the final stop of his Asia tour, where he says he expects to nail down a "good deal for both" China and the U.S. with Xi Jinping.

Japan has designated 14 airports and 26 seaports for use by its military and coast guard during a contingency.