U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel praised Japan's contribution to drastic “reform and modernization” of their alliance, particularly its military capability and spending, as well as a decision to allow Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to be shipped to the United States to make up for its decreasing inventory.
During a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Wednesday, Ambassador Emanuel commended Japan's moves to strengthen its military might, stating it elevates the "level of deterrence to capital D deterrence." This comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government recently relaxed its postwar prohibition on lethal weapons exports, marking a significant departure from Japan's long-standing self-defence-only principle.
