US to Upgrade Military Command in Japan to Deter China: Hegseth

‘Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression,’ Hegseth said.

Pete Hegseth, U.S. secretary of defense, and Gen Nakatani, Japan's defense minister, shake hands while posing for photographs prior to their meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on March 30, 2025. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Reuters

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on March 30 that Japan is indispensable to combatting Chinese aggression in the South Pacific and that plans will soon commence to enhance the U.S. military command in the nation.

“We share a warrior ethos that defines our forces,” Hegseth told Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani during a meeting in Tokyo. “Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression, [including across the Taiwan Strait].”