United States-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement – The White House

President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru held their first official meeting today in Washington, D.C., where they affirmed their determination to pursue a new golden age for U.S.-Japan relations that upholds a free and open Indo-Pacific and brings peace and prosperity to a violent and disorderly world.  U.S.-Japan Cooperation for Peace The two leaders expressed their shared desire for bilateral security and defense cooperation under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security to grow stronger than ever, and emphasized that the U.S.-Japan Alliance remains the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Japan reiterated its unwavering commitment to fundamentally reinforce its own defense capabilities, which the United States welcomed. The United States underscored its unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan, using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear capabilities. The two leaders reaffirmed that Article V of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security applies to the Senkaku Islands, and reiterated their strong opposition to any action that seeks to undermine Japan’s longstanding and peaceful administration of the Senkaku Islands. In line with the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security and the U.S.-Japan Guidelines for Defense Cooperation, Japan reaffirmed its role in maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region by seamlessly responding to any situation from peacetime to contingencies. This has been further enabled by Japan’s 2015 Legislation for Peace and Security, which enhances U.S.-Japan Alliance deterrence and response capabilities. In order to address an increasingly severe and complex security environment, the two leaders confirmed that they intend to further strengthen U.S.-Japan deterrence and response capabilities by enhancing defense and security cooperation, including by upgrading the respective command and control frameworks of U.S. and Japanese forces, increasing bilateral presence in Japan’s Southwest Islands, increasing readiness through more realistic training and exercises, further enhancing U.S. extended deterrence, and promoting defense equipment and technology cooperation, including co-production, co-development, and co-sustainment that bolsters allied supply chains and strengthens U.S. and Japanese defense industrial capacity, including maritime. The United States and Japan intend to continue their strong partnership in civil space and on aeronautics, science, and human exploration, including on the upcoming Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station that includes U.S. and Japanese astronauts as well as lunar surface exploration on future Artemis missions. The United States and Japan also intend to expand bilateral security cooperation in cyberspace by leveraging new technologies such as artificial intelligence and secure and resilient cloud services to deepen information-sharing. The United States welcomed Japan’s commitment, underpinned by a favorable trend of its defense budget increase, to building capabilities by FY 2027 to consolidate its primary responsibility for defending Japan, and, building on this significant foundation, to fundamentally reinforcing its defense capabilities beyond FY 2027.   In order to maintain deterrence and mitigate the impact on local communities, the two leaders confirmed the vital importance of the steady implementation of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan in accordance with the Okinawa Consolidation Plan, including the construction of the Futenma Replacement Facility at Henoko and the return of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma.   The two leaders instructed their foreign and defense ministers to convene a Security Consultative Committee (SCC: “2+2”) meeting at an early date to implement the above-mentioned cooperation in an expeditious manner. U.S.-Japan Cooperation for Growth and Prosperity The two leaders affirmed that bilateral economic cooperation, including on economic security, forms an indispensable part of Alliance cooperation. As close economic partners, the United States and Japan provide the largest amount of foreign direct investment and create high quality jobs in each other’s countries. Industries of both countries continue to play a vital role for each other’s supply chains.To chart an unwavering course for strengthening economic ties and elevating the economic partnership to the next level, the two leaders will seek to: promote business opportunities and significantly increase bilateral investment and employment; strengthen their industrial bases and collaborate to lead the world in developing critical technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and leading-edge semiconductors; enhance efforts to counter and build resilience against economic coercion; and jointly promote growth in the Indo-Pacific region underpinned by a free and fair economic order. They also resolved to continue discussions on aligning policies to further promote and protect critical and sensitive technologies, including through export controls, and to enhance supply chain resilience. With a shared commitment to the integrity of travel systems that underpin economic prosperity, they intend to strengthen efforts to vet travelers and routinely and securely share information to combat technology theft, travel by criminals, and illegal immigration. The two leaders announced their intention to strengthen energy security by unleashing the United States’ affordable and reliable energy and natural resources, and by increasing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas to Japan in a mutually beneficial manner. They also welcomed efforts to diversify critical minerals supply chains and to collaborate on developing and deploying cutting-edge small modular reactor and other advanced nuclear reactor technology. The two leaders instructed their relevant ministers in charge to strengthen U.S.-Japan economic cooperation to achieve these shared goals. U.S.-Japan Coordination in the Indo-Pacific The two leaders shared views on the severe and complex security environment and expressed their determination to continuously cooperate to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. As part of such cooperation, the two leaders intend to advance multilayered and aligned cooperation among like-minded countries, including Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad), Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan-U.S.-Australia, and Japan-U.S.-Philippines. Through these relationships, the United States, Japan, and like-minded partners can deliver high quality infrastructure investments in the region, including the deployment of Open Radio Access Networks in third countries. The two leaders reiterated their strong opposition to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea. The two leaders reaffirmed their strong opposition to the PRC’s unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea. The two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community. They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues, and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. The two leaders also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. The two leaders expressed their serious concerns over and the need to address the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK’s) nuclear and missile programs and reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK. Both countries underscored the need to deter and counter the DPRK’s malicious cyber activities and the DPRK’s increasing military cooperation with Russia. In addition, both countries affirmed the importance of the Japan-U.S.-ROK trilateral partnership in responding to the DPRK and upholding regional peace and prosperity. Japan reiterated its determination to achieve an immediate resolution of the abductions issue, which the United States supported.  Invitation to Visit Japan President Trump accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Ishiba for an official visit to Japan in the near future.

Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/02/united-states-japan-joint-leaders-statement/