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Trump, Abe seek stronger alliance as they mark 60th anniversary of US-Japan security treaty
- US President Donald Trump has called for a deeper alliance with Japan, despite calling the security treaty ‘unfair’ last year
- PM Shinzo Abe pledged to bolster Japan’s role in the pact, ‘in both outer space and cyberspace’
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US President Donald Trump marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the security treaty between the United States and Japan with a call for a stronger and deeper alliance between the two countries, despite criticising the pact six months ago.
“As the security environment continues to evolve and new challenges arise, it is essential that our alliance further strengthen and deepen,” Trump said in a statement dated January 18.
“I am confident that in the months and years ahead, Japan’s contributions to our mutual security will continue to grow, and the alliance will continue to thrive.”
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Last June, Trump told a news conference in Japan that the treaty – signed six decades ago on Sunday and the linchpin of Japan’s defence policy – was “unfair” and should be changed, echoing his long-held view that Japan is a free-rider on defence. Trump at the time added he was not thinking of withdrawing from the pact.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday called for making the treaty more robust and pledged to bolster his country’s role in the pact.
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