Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi plans to visit the United States next month for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth. Government officials announced the trip on Friday. Koizumi is expected to discuss Japan's efforts to boost defense spending to 2% of GDP.
Government officials revealed that Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is set to visit the United States next month to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The trip is likely to occur before the ordinary Diet session starts.
Koizumi and Hegseth held their first meeting in Tokyo in October and met again in Malaysia in November. During the upcoming talks, Koizumi plans to outline Japan's initiatives to enhance defense capabilities, including raising defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product and revising its three key national security documents.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration has prepared a supplementary budget bill that allocates about ¥1.1 trillion for defense-related expenses. If passed, this would allow Japan to reach the 2% GDP target two years ahead of schedule, underscoring efforts to strengthen U.S.-Japan security ties.