New US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, during his first phone call with his Japanese counterpart, reaffirmed America's commitment to defending the disputed East China Sea islets known as the Senkaku in Japan, Jiji news agency reported.
Japan welcomes Britain s plan to send aircraft carrier group to Asia japantoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Japan hails Britain s plan to send aircraft carrier group to Asia
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Thursday welcomed Britain s plan to dispatch an aircraft carrier strike group to waters in the western Pacific amid China s growing maritime assertiveness.
During a video conference with his British counterpart Ben Wallace, Kishi said Japan will work closely with the country for the dispatch of the strike group, centered on the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, according to the Defense Ministry.
File photo of British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth taken in November 2017 in Portsmouth, England.(Getty/Kyodo)
The carrier, commissioned in 2017, is Britain s largest warship, weighing 65,000 tons and measuring 280 meters in length. It is expected to carry out joint exercises with Japan s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military during its stay in areas including off the Nansei Islands chain in southwestern Japan.