2 days ago 4

Pentagon Chief Calls Japan ‘Cornerstone of Peace’ as US Turns Region into Powder Keg

Pete Hegseth, who arrived in Japan as part of his debut Asia tour, rehashed the go-to narrative that China’s actions were allegedly "aggressive and coercive.”

The US will ensure "robust, ready and credible deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait, the Pentagon chief underscored on Sunday when meeting with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani.

Hegseth also vowed that "America is committed to sustaining robust, ready and credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait."

In effect, Washington continues to push to make Japan a frontline force in the region, with its key Asian ally already hosting around 50,000 US military personnel, squadrons of fighter squadrons and America’s only forward deployed aircraft carrier strike group.

The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is homeported at Yokosuka Naval Base and operates under the US 7th Fleet.