Hegseth, Japan Defense Minister Agree to Beef Up Military Ties

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Japanese counterpart agreed during their first phone call to expand their nations’ joint military presence around Japanese islands in the East China Sea, according to Japan’s defense ministry.

Hegseth also confirmed to Defense Minister Gen Nakatani that the US-Japan defense treaty covers a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are controlled by Japan but claimed by China, according to the account of the call held Thursday evening US time.

Pete Hegseth

Photographer: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg

Armed Chinese coast guard vessels regularly sail close to the uninhabited islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan and ...