US, Japan deepen alliance to deter rising Chinese military threats

From left: Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speak at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, January 11, 2023. [Courtesy of AP]

The United States and Japan deepened their strategic alliance and outlined actions in a joint statement Wednesday designed to deter intensifying Chinese military threats in the East China Sea and around Taiwan.

Those actions include plans to reorganize U.S. Marine Corps units based in Okinawa and new agreements to cooperate on space and advanced military technologies.