Defense Ministers: Japan and Two-Plus-Two Talks

defense ministers: Japan has been one of America's staunchest and most loyal allies, according to The Japan Times. Tokyo supports most of Washington's diplomatic efforts, provides generous host nation support for U.S. forces in Japan and consistently seeks ways to enhance the Japan-U.S. alliance, if at a cautious pace. This would be a miscalculation on the part of Tokyo. This trend manifested itself most recently at the two-plus-two talks between U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers, who agreed to extend the bilateral alliance cooperation in the field of cyberspace. ; However, at the risk of stating the obvious, Japan's national interests do not coincide completely with those of the United States. That said, Japan has over the years quietly pursued foreign and security policy differentiation from the U.S. on the margins. Over the years, to maintain strong ties with its only ally, Tokyo has acted with considerable restraint to avoid any breaches with Washington. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.