The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining “robust, ready and credible deterrence” in the Taiwan Strait amid escalating tensions with China, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighting the increasingly aggressive posture of Beijing. During a recent visit to Japan, Hegseth emphasized the need for strong alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, promoting a message of deterrence as key to peace and stability.
Despite concerns regarding military costs, Hegseth refrained from urging Japan to raise its defense budget, expressing confidence in Tokyo’s ability to assess its own military needs accurately. “America is committed to sustaining robust, ready and credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait,” he stated, rejecting any notion that the previous U.S. administration had diminished America’s strength and resolve in the region.
Over recent years, China’s military activities surrounding Taiwan have intensified, involving frequent incursions into Taiwan’s airspace and a persistent threat of potential force to assert control over the self-governing island. Analysts have warned that under the “America First” policy of former President Donald Trump, the U.S. commitment to regional security might be compromised. However, Hegseth argued that the previous administration created a vacuum that led to a perception of U.S. weakness, which he vowed to rectify.
“The reality and the perception of deterrence must be genuine and ongoing, so that the Communist Chinese don’t take the aggressive actions that some have contemplated,” he added, underlining the importance of a united front with allies.
Hegseth, a veteran and former media personality, praised the alliance between the U.S. and Japan, emphasizing that “America first does not mean America alone.” He illustrated this point by highlighting the complexities of the bilateral security agreement, which entails the U.S. defending Japan while Japan has fewer obligations to reciprocate.
The discussion took place against the backdrop of a challenging diplomatic landscape, with Japan also navigating the implications of the recent U.S. tariffs on auto imports. Approximately 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, primarily in Okinawa, signifying the deep-rooted military collaboration between the two nations.
In talks with Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Hegseth avoided discussing specific figures regarding defense spending but expressed confidence that Japan would make the right call in determining necessary defense capabilities within the alliance. Nakatani, for his part, affirmed Japan’s commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities based on its own judgment, indicating ongoing reforms to strengthen its military.
Japan is transitioning from its historically pacifist approach toward a more assertive military stance, with plans to develop “counterstrike” capabilities and align its defense spending with NATO’s goal of 2% of GDP. The U.S. and Japan have also announced a “new era” of collaboration, which includes establishing a new operational headquarters for U.S. forces in Japan, aimed at improving inter-operability and coordination between the two military forces.
Both Hegseth and Nakatani agreed that expanding military presence in Japan’s southwestern region is a top priority, aligning strategies to prepare for potential crises in the Indo-Pacific, particularly regarding Taiwan and North Korea. This collaborative approach aims to create a more formidable deterrent against aggressive actions from China, reinforcing the importance of partnership between the U.S. and its allies in the face of rising regional tensions.
