[Regnum] The United States is creating a new military command in Japan, which will be announced on July 28, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The statement will be made at a meeting between US State Department and Pentagon Secretary Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin with Japanese Foreign Minister and Defense Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara.
The American command will coordinate its military operations with the Japanese Armed Forces, as well as plan joint exercises and participate in the defense of the country in the event of war.
The decision was made to protect against China, which is “building up its military might,” the publication reported. The decision will allow the United States to withdraw its forces in Japan from the Indo-Pacific Command.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, in mid-July NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the alliance's plans to expand joint military exercises with Japan. It is planned to involve the navy and air force. The alliance's leadership explained this by the "need to maintain security in Europe and Asia."
Japanese media previously reported that at a meeting of the heads of the US and Japanese Foreign and Defense Ministries, the heads of the departments will agree on the two countries' course to increase the production of missiles for the Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems. The missiles are produced in Japan and then delivered to the US.