Japan's defense chief says alliance with US will endure
TOKYO - Japan's defense chief said Wednesday she believes her country's alliance with the United States will endure in the Trump administration because it benefits both countries.
Defense Minister Tomomi Inada was asked about President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that Japan build its own nuclear deterrent force. She said Japan expects to remain under the US nuclear umbrella.
Inada said discussion about the future of the alliance should focus on shared security capabilities rather than financial burdens. She also said Japan will stick to its vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
"This will remain unchanged," she said, implicitly rejecting the notion of Japan developing its own nuclear force. She noted that Japan is the only country in the world to have experienced the horrors of nuclear war.
