Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi in Tokyo. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the immense achievements in our bilateral relationship over the last four years and reflected on the U.S.-Japan Alliance as the cornerstone of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. They reaffirmed that our countries stand shoulder-to-shoulder as allies in a truly global partnership. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the importance of advancing U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation, which remains vital to regional security, stability, and prosperity. They also discussed the PRC's dangerous and destabilizing behavior in the South China Sea - including the repeated blocking and harassment of Philippine vessels from operating within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone - behavior that threatens the freedoms of navigation and overflight of all nations. They emphasized their robust support for Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression. The Secretary condemned the escalatory deployment of DPRK troops to Russia and discussed deep concerns about the PRC's support for Russia's defense industrial base.

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