Japan-United States of America Relations

On March 16, commencing at 2:15 p.m. for approximately one hour and 20 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a Japan-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting with the Honorable Rex W. Tillerson, Secretary of State of the United States of America, who was visiting Japan. Following a joint press conference after the meeting, Minister Kishida held a working dinner commencing shortly after 5:40 p.m. for nearly one hour. The overview of the meeting is as follows. 

1 Opening and general remarks 

Minister Kishida welcomed Secretary Tillerson's visit to Japan shortly after his appointment, and, in particular, highly appreciated  his choice to visit Japan as the first country in Asia since it demonstrates the U.S. position to put importance on Japan and the Japan-U.S. Alliance. In response, Secretary Tillerson stated that his choice of Japan as his first country in Asia to visit as Secretary of State shows the importance that the United States attaches to its relationship with Japan. The two sides confirmed that concrete cooperation between Japan and the United States will make further progress on the basis of the outcomes of the previous Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting.

2 Japan-U.S. security

(1) Japan-U.S. security

On the basis of the joint statement made by the two leaders in February, which emphasizes that the United States will strengthen its presence in the region and Japan will shoulder a greater role and responsibility in ensuring the peace and stability of the regional and international communities, the two sides discussed the agenda for the first "2+2" Ministerial Meeting, and shared the view that they will accelerate coordination on the timing  to hold the meeting promptly. 

(2) Okinawa

Minister Kishida emphasized the necessity to mitigate the impact on Okinawa in a visible way, and the two sides agreed that both Japan and the United States will cooperate on this point. Additionally, they reconfirmed that relocating Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma to Henoko is the only solution. 

3 Situation in the Asia-Pacific region

(1) North Korea

The two sides shared the recognition that North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs are totally unacceptable, confirmed that Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will coordinate to strongly urge North Korea to exercise self-restraint by refraining from provocative actions and to comply with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, and also discussed the importance of China's role. In addition, the two sides confirmed the importance of advancing cooperation between Japan and the United States and among Japan, the United States and the ROK, including on fields such as security.   

Furthermore, under the U.S. reviewing process of its policy towards North Korea, Minister Kishida conveyed Japan's views, and the two sides confirmed that Japan and the United States will solidly coordinate their policies, continue to deepen collaboration, and form a shared position between  Japan and the United States. 

Additionally, Minister Kishida stated that the abductions issue is a grave problem that concerns Japan's sovereignty and the lives and safety of its citizens, and it is one of the top priorities of the Abe Administration. The two sides confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue to collaborate. 

(2) East Asia situation

Minister Kishida explained Japan's fundamental position to improve relations with China, and, at the same time, he appreciated the U.S. strong commitment to the Senkaku Islands. In addition, based on the joint statement between the two  leaders confirming that Japan and the United States will deepen cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the East China Sea, Minister Kishida discussed with Secretary Tillerson approaches to concrete cooperation. The two sides also shared concerns about the situation in the South China Sea and confirmed that they will continue to collaborate. 

4 Alliance network 

Minister Kishida explained that Japan intends to broaden its insight from the Asia-Pacific through the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and Africa and support the stability and prosperity of this extensive region through ensuring a free and open maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. Minister Kishida and Secretary Tillerson both recognized that it is important for regional stability and prosperity to strengthen multi-layered cooperation that is centered on the Japan-U.S. Alliance with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries such as the Philippines and Viet Nam and like-minded countries such as India and Australia,.

5 Japan-U.S. economic relations

Minister Kishida stated that he hopes to bring about further great advance in Japan-U.S. economic relations through economic dialogue under Mr. Taro Aso, Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr. Michael Pence, Vice President of the United States, and hopes to  drive powerful economic growth in Japan and the United States, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world. Minister Kishida also stated that strategic perspectives as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are important in trade rules, and he intends to proactively contribute to creating a fair market that is free and based on rules, under the leadership of both Japan and the United States. In response, Secretary Tillerson agreed with the importance of economic dialogue which benefits both countries.

6 Climate change

Minister Kishida stated that dealing with the climate change problem, including the Paris Agreement, is a global issue that the international community should engage with, and that he hopes to coordinate together with the United States. The two sides confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue to communicate.