Austin visits Japan to bolster alliance amid rising regional tensions

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Japan on Tuesday to reaffirm the U.S.-Japan alliance and address escalating regional threats from China and North Korea.

His visit comes as the U.S. military halts Osprey aircraft flights following a recent near-crash caused by weakened metal components—similar to a fatal crash off southwestern Japan last year.

Japanese-operated Ospreys remain unaffected, though discussions are ongoing between Japanese officials and the U.S. military. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi assured that Japan will “respond appropriately” to the issue.

Austin is set to meet with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later on Tuesday. Nakatani highlighted the importance of cooperation with the U.S. and South Korea, particularly as tensions in the Indo-Pacific region intensify. “Collaboration between Japan, the U.S., and South Korea, as well as with other partners, is vital in this increasingly unstable environment,” he said.

The trip also underscores strengthened trilateral ties between Japan, the U.S., and South Korea under President Joe Biden’s administration, though South Korea’s political unrest poses potential challenges.

On Monday, Austin visited crew members aboard the USS *George Washington*, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka. He emphasized the importance of defending the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, singling out China as a key threat.

“China is the only country with both the intent and capability to change the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. “We want to see this region remain open to freedom of navigation and the ability to fly the skies in international airways. We will work with allies and partners to ensure we can do just that.”

The carrier, currently under maintenance, will host the advanced F-35C stealth combat aircraft squadron from the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, further underscoring the U.S. military’s commitment to regional security.