Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi, and Minister of Defense Kishi convened the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee for two consecutive days virtually in Washington DC and Tokyo respectively.

While speaking at the virtual conference on Thursday, Blinken said Tokyo and Washington will sign a deal on collaborating more closely in research and development of defence-related technologies, including ways to counter threats from hypersonic weapons.

The new deal will enable greater investment in the readiness of both countries' forces and improve their ability to operate together, said Blinken.

Secretary Lloyd Austin, who participated virtually said that the US-Japan alliance is increasingly important.

“We're meeting against a backdrop of increased tensions and challenges to the free, stable and secure Indo-Pacific region that we both seek challenges posed by North Korea's nuclear ambitions and by the coercive and aggressive behaviour of the People's Republic of China,” Austin said.

“We remain grateful for the support that Japan continues to provide US forces deployed there and for an extraordinary level of mutual cooperation across the full spectrum of military capabilities,” he added.

The comments from the two allies, in a joint statement that followed a virtual meeting of their foreign and defence ministers, highlight how deepening alarm about China - and growing tension over Taiwan - have put Japan's security role in focus.

According to the joint statement, the ministers expressed concerns that China's efforts "to undermine the rules-based order" presented "political, economic, military and technological challenges to the region and the world.”

"They resolved to work together to deter and, if necessary, respond to destabilising activities in the region," it said.

The ministers also said they had "serious and ongoing concerns" about human rights in China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong regions and stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

In a separate virtual summit on Thursday, Japan and Australia signed a defence cooperation agreement.

Image credit: Reuters