Japan’s Defense Ministry claimed on Friday that Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held a phone call with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and they raised “serious concerns,” although the US’ official readout notably did not use such wording, Global Times reports.
In a statement, the Japanese Ministry of Defense claimed that Koizumi and Hegseth exchanged candid views on the increasingly severe security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the radar incident by Chinese military aircraft on December 6. “The Ministers expressed serious concern over any actions to increase regional tensions, as China’s actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability, and concurred to closely communicate and collaborate with each other,” it asserted.
However, a readout of the phone call released by the US Department of War did not mention any particular incident, and did not say they raised “serious concerns” as claimed by the Japanese side. “The two leaders discussed Japan’s efforts to increase its defense spending and strengthen its capabilities, China’s military activities, and the importance of realistic training and exercises across Japan,” the US readout said.
