U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has welcomed Japan's commitment to accelerate its military buildup and defense spending.

Japan has designated 14 airports and 26 seaports for use by its military and coast guard during a contingency.

TOKYO: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday (Oct 29) the Japan-US alliance was "critical to deterring Chinese military aggression", as his Japanese counterpart confirmed plans to accelerate a defence spending target.

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces significant foreign policy challenges just days after taking office

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's newly elected first female prime minister, is an unabashedly conservative icon of Japanese politics. Her election is set to change East Asia.

Long-pacifist Japan is adopting a more muscular military stance as relations with China worsen, with Takaichi pledging to spend 2% of GDP on defense.

The Chinese government sent the new Japanese prime minister a congratulatory message when she assumed office -- without announcing the act. The move suggests cautiousness from Beijing over how Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will manage relations with Japan's neighbor.

On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered her first policy address, which contained remarks on China that aligned closely with information disclosed by Japanese media the previous day.