Abe, Shanahan Affirm Cooperation over N. Korea

Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, at their meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, confirmed their countries' cooperation on issues related to North Korea. Shanahan, slated to be nominated as defense secretary, vowed that the United States will continue to demand that North Korea abolish all of its nuclear weapons and missiles in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Shanahan also pledged continued U.S. support for Japanese efforts to resolve the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago. Abe and Shanahan agreed to promote international cooperation to block North Korea's offshore ship-to-ship cargo transfers, in order to fully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions against the reclusive country. The two also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in a bid to counter China's increasing assertiveness. They confirmed that the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan will progress steadily, including the transfer of the functions of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to a new facility in the Henoko coastal area of Nago, also in the southern Japan prefecture. At the beginning of the meeting, Abe expressed his hope that Japan and the United States will continue to strengthen their alliance's deterrence power and capacity to deal with situations after the new Japanese era of Reiwa started last month. The prime minister said he aims to deepen cooperation with the United States further to realize the "free and open Indo-Pacific" vision. Shanahan voiced his confidence that such a vision will be realized. Shanahan came to Japan for the first time since he assumed the current post in January. On May 9, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to nominate Shanahan as the next defense secretary after former Defense Secretary James Mattis left the Trump administration late last year. On Tuesday, Shanahan also had separate talks with Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Iwaya and Shanahan agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in new fields including outer space, cyberspace and electromagnetic waves. Iwaya expressed appreciation for U.S. support for the search for a Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jet that crashed into the Pacific in April, as well as the investigation into the accident's cause. Suga and Shanahan exchanged their views on the North Korean abduction issue and the issue of reducing the burden on Okinawa of hosting many U.S. bases. Kono and Shanahan affirmed their deep concern over and strong opposition to military base development in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as moves to change the status quo there, while refraining from directly mentioning China. END