Japanese premier rejects Trump's claim of ‘unilateral protection’

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump's previous remarks characterizing the security agreement between the two nations as “interesting” and suggesting that the US is solely responsible for protecting Japan.

Trump had stated: “I love Japan. We have a great relationship with Japan, but we have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don't have to protect us.”

Responding during a parliamentary session, Ishiba emphasized that the agreement is reciprocal, noting that Japan is obligated to host US military bases, Kyodo News Agency reported.

He stressed that the bilateral treaty does not mean the US “unilaterally protects Japan.”

During a news briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also affirmed Tokyo’s confidence in Washington’s commitment to the treaty, saying Japan has “full confidence that the United States will fulfill its obligations under the Japan-US security treaty by using all available capabilities, including nuclear ones.”

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, without directly addressing Trump’s comments, highlighted Japan’s efforts to “fundamentally strengthen” its defense capabilities, with plans to allocate 2% of its GDP to defense spending by 2027.

Earlier this week, Elbridge Colby, the nominee for US defense undersecretary, urged Japan to increase its defense budget to 3% of GDP.

The Japan-US security treaty, signed in 1951, covers US military forces stationed in Japan, particularly in areas near Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands. The islands, which Japan administers but China claims, remain a source of tension between the two countries.