Both the United States and Japan consider China to be the greatest shared strategic challenge that Washington, Tokyo, and their allies currently face, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a joint press conference following a 2+2 ministerial meeting with Japanese counterparts.
“We agree that the PRC (the People’s Republic of China) is the greatest shared strategic challenge that we and our allies and partners face,” Blinken said on Wednesday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed with his US counterpart and said that China’s foreign policy is aimed at establishing an international order that would serve Beijing’s interests and that is a great concern for the US-Japan alliance.
Hayashi added that the United States and Japan strongly oppose China’s unlawful claims and coercive and provocative actions in the South China Sea.
US top diplomat and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomed their Japanese counterparts, Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada for the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting to discuss a broad range of security-related issues.US, Japan agree China represents greatest shared strategic challenge