US and Japanese defence chiefs agree to step up denial defence along the First Island Chain

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met in Cebu, in the central Philippines, on Wednesday, 28 October, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. According to the Department of War readout, the two stressed the importance of more defence investment and continued strategic alignment to strengthen deterrence and carry out an effective denial defence in the First Island Chain.

Kyodo News, citing the Pentagon, reported that the two ministers had deterrence of China in mind. It described the First Island Chain as the line that links Japan's southwestern Nansei islands with Taiwan and the Philippines.

The readout said the ministers reaffirmed the central role of the US-Japan alliance in keeping peace and stability in the Pacific.

Access, training and munitions

Hegseth and Koizumi discussed strengthening deterrence through wider bilateral access, a greater presence and realistic training and exercises across Japan, including live-fire drills, the readout said. They agreed to speed up steps that allow more agile and resilient operations, among them flexible use of facilities and more chances to rehearse distributed operations in support of a credible denial defence.

On industry, Hegseth welcomed Japan's work to expand its defence industrial capacity, and both men committed to keep coordinating closely on the production of critical munitions. The Asahi Shimbun likewise reported that, according to the US side, the two confirmed close cooperation on joint munitions production.

The Sankei Shimbun reported that Hegseth announced the meeting afterwards and wrote on X that its purpose was to advance a shared vision of peace through strength. He posted a photograph of the two shaking hands, said close US-Japan coordination is essential to establish deterrence by denial, and listed higher investment, wider use of ports, airports and other facilities, more realistic training and stronger production of the munitions that forces need as priority areas.

Japan's strategy rewrite

Kyodo reported that Koizumi told Hegseth Japan would work to strengthen what Tokyo calls its denial defence capability, meaning military strength sufficient to persuade an opponent not to attack, as it revises its three national security documents.

The Asahi Shimbun noted that the revision of those documents is due within the year and reported that Koizumi was expected to brief Hegseth on Japan's efforts to build up its defences, including higher defence spending. It also reported that Koizumi was expected to press for thorough measures to prevent a repeat after a US Marine assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa, was arrested this month on suspicion of robbery and murder.

Other talks in Cebu

Koizumi was scheduled to meet South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Asahi. The paper said it would be the first in-person meeting between the two countries' defence ministers since Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine on 15 August.