TOKYO, Japan: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Japan is essential for handling China's aggression, especially in the Taiwan Strait, and announced plans to upgrade the U.S. military command in Japan. He praised Japan as a key partner in maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region during a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo.

Hegseth also stated that President Donald Trump's administration would continue to strengthen ties with Japan. In July, the Biden administration unveiled plans to overhaul the U.S. military command in Japan, aiming to enhance coordination with Japan's forces, as both countries have identified China as their primary strategic challenge.

As part of this plan, a combined operational commander will be based in Japan to work closely with Japan's Self-Defense Forces. This comes as Japan increases its military spending, including buying longer-range missiles, while facing limits due to its post-WWII constitution, which bans war.

Hegseth and Nakatani also agreed to collaborate on producing air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, as well as addressing a shortage of munitions. Hegseth requested additional access to Japan's southwestern islands, which are located near the East China Sea and Taiwan.

Hegseth's visit to Japan was also marked by his trip to the Philippines and attendance at a memorial service for the Battle of Iwo Jima, a pivotal World War II battle.

Revelations have overshadowed his trip. He texted the details of imminent U.S. strikes on Yemen on a Signal messaging app group that included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine, along with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.

Hegseth did not respond to a shouted question about whether he had posted classified information to the group.

Gabbard told Congress that the defence secretary would be the one to determine what defence information is classified.