TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday affirmed that the alliance with Japan remains the "cornerstone" of security in the region, joining a war memorial service on Iwoto Island in the Pacific where the two countries engaged in a deadly battle 80 years ago.
Hegseth is making his first official visit to Japan following the launch of the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, with the trip closely watched as to whether the United States will step up its demand on its Asian ally to increase its defense spending amid China's assertiveness and North Korean nuclear threats.
