LDP Vice President Aso and U.S. NSC Coordinator Agree to Boost Japan-U.S. Alliance

By Ryosuke Okada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:57 JST, January 10, 2024

WASHINGTON — LDP Vice President Taro Aso, who is visiting the United States, met with Kurt Campbell, U.S. National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning Japan time, and they agreed to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Aso, noting North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and other issues, said it is important for the trilateral partnership among Japan, the United States and South Korea to be “built on the foundation that has been laid so far.”

Campbell recalled the summit meeting among the three countries in August last year as a major achievement.

During the meeting, Aso and Campbell also recognized that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s successful visit to the United States will be key to strengthening the alliance.