US, Japan mull biggest defense agreement update in 6 decades

The United States and Japan plan the largest update of the security agreement in over 60 years in a bid to counter China and North Korea, the Financial Times reported.

According to the report, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce plans to restructure the Japanese military command during the meeting in the White House on April 10.

Former Japanese Self-Defense Forces Chief of Staff Ryoichi Oriki told the Financial Times that there is a need to appoint a higher-ranking US officer in Japan, because it is the US that takes the key role in the regional defense.

"It sends a strong strategic signal to China and North Korea and it’s meaningful from the point of view of deterrence to say that the US will strengthen the command structure in Japan," Oriki believes.

According to the newspaper, may also consider upgrading US military units deployed in Japan.

The White House, the Pentagon, the US Indo-Pacific Command and the government of Japan refused to make any comments to the Financial Times.