Japan-United States of America Relations
Japan-U.S. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
December 11, 2021
On December 11, commencing at 12:20 (local time; 21:20 on December 11, Japan time) for 25 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the United Kingdom, to attend the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting, held a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with the Honorable Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
- At the outset, the two ministers stated that they were delighted to meet with each other in person for the first time.
- The two ministers exchanged their views on regional affairs, including China and North Korea. In light of the increasingly severe regional security environment, the two ministers concurred that it is essential to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance, and that Japan and the U.S. will continue to work closely together to that end. In addition, the two ministers concurred that coordination among Japan, the U.S. and the ROK is important.
- Minister Hayashi welcomed the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, including President Biden’s attendance at the East Asia Summit (EAS) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, as well as Secretary Blinken’s visit to Southeast Asia. The two ministers also confirmed that Japan and the U.S. will continue to further deepen cooperation with ASEAN countries and coordination with like-minded countries such as Australia and India, towards the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
- The two ministers confirmed to coordinate toward holding a “2+2” meeting at the earliest possible opportunity. They also concurred to hold thorough discussion on the issues facing the region and how to respond to them at the “2+2.”
- The two ministers concurred to accelerate the final coordination between Japan and the U.S. towards conclusion of the Host Nation Support negotiation.