United States-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement

The United States welcomes the steps Japan is taking to fundamentally enhance its defense capabilities, including its plans to increase the budget for its defense capabilities and complementary initiatives to two percent of GDP in Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2027 in accordance with Japan’s National Security Strategy, its decision to possess counterstrike capabilities, and its plans to stand up the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command to enhance command and control of the JSDF. Together, these initiatives elevate our defense ties to unprecedented levels and launch a new era of U.S.-Japan security cooperation, strengthening our Alliance and contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Today, we announce several new strategic initiatives to further advance our Alliance. Recognizing the speed at which regional security challenges evolve and to ensure our bilateral Alliance structures meet these critical changes, we announce our intention to bilaterally upgrade our respective command and control frameworks to enable seamless integration of operations and capabilities and allow for greater interoperability and planning between U.S. and Japanese forces in peacetime and during contingencies. More effective U.S.-Japan Alliance command and control will strengthen deterrence and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of pressing regional security challenges. We call on our respective defense and foreign ministries to develop this new relationship through the Security Consultative Committee (our security “2+2”). In support of this vision, we also reaffirm our goal to deepen Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance cooperation and Alliance information sharing capabilities, including through the Bilateral Information Analysis Cell.

We will also continue to implement efforts to strengthen our Alliance force posture, build high-end base capabilities, and increase preparedness that are necessary to deter and defend against threats. We resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation toward the effective development and employment of Japan’s suite of counterstrike capabilities, including the provision of U.S. materiel and technological support to enhance Japan’s indigenous stand-off programs. The United States expressed its commitment to start the training pipeline and ship modifications for Japan to acquire operational capability of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) system. We also reaffirmed our pursuit of a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) cooperative development program to counter high-end, regional hypersonic threats.

As our countries strengthen our bilateral ties, we will continue to build our relationships with like-minded partners in the region. Today, we announce our vision to cooperate on a networked air defense architecture among the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter growing air and missile threats. Recognizing Japan’s strengths and the close bilateral defense partnerships with the AUKUS countries, AUKUS partners – Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects. Continuing the momentum from the Camp David Summit, we welcome progress on establishing an annual multidomain exercise between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). Recognizing the commitments made in the Atlantic Declaration and the Hiroshima Accord, and as the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions become ever more interlinked, we welcome the announcement of regular U.S.-Japan-UK trilateral exercises, beginning in 2025, as we enhance our shared and enduring security. Building on the announcement at the Australia Official Visit in October to pursue trilateral cooperation with Japan on unmanned aerial systems, we are exploring cooperative opportunities in the rapidly emerging field of collaborative combat aircraft and autonomy.

The United States welcomes Japan’s revision of the Three Principles on the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its Implementation Guidelines, which bolsters cooperation through joint development and production to enhance our deterrence capabilities in the region. To leverage our respective industrial bases to meet the demand for critical capabilities and maintain readiness over the long term, we will convene a Forum on Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition and Sustainment (DICAS) co-led by the U.S. Department of Defense and Japan’s Ministry of Defense to identify priority areas for partnering U.S. and Japanese industry, including co-development and co-production of missiles and co-sustainment of forward-deployed U.S. Navy ships and U.S. Air Force aircraft, including fourth generation fighters, at Japanese commercial facilities, in coordination with relevant ministries. This forum, in conjunction with our existing Defense Science and Technology Cooperation Group, will better integrate and align our defense industrial policy, acquisition, and science and technology ecosystems. The DICAS will provide updates on progress to the foreign and defense ministers in the security “2+2.” We also commit to establishing a working group to explore opportunities for future fighter pilot training and readiness, including AI and advanced simulators, and co-development and co-production of cutting-edge technologies such as common jet trainers to maintain combat-ready next-generation fighter airpower.

We reaffirm the critical importance of continuing to enhance U.S. extended deterrence, bolstered by Japan’s defense capabilities, and will further strengthen bilateral cooperation. In this regard, we call on our respective foreign and defense ministers to hold in-depth discussions on extended deterrence on the occasion of the next security “2+2” meeting.

We continue to deepen our cooperation on information and cyber security to ensure that our Alliance stays ahead of growing cyber threats and builds resilience in the information and communication technology domain. We also plan on enhancing our cooperation on the protection of critical infrastructure.

Recognizing the importance of rapidly responding to frequent and severe climate change-related and other natural disasters, we plan to explore cooperation on the establishment of a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief hub in Japan.

In order to maintain deterrence and mitigate impact on local communities, we are firmly committed to the steady implementation of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan in accordance with Okinawa Consolidation Plan, including the construction of the Futenma Replacement Facility at Henoko as the only solution that avoids the continued use of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

Reaching New Frontiers in Space

Our global partnership extends to space, where the United States and Japan are leading the way to explore our solar system and return to the Moon. Today, we welcome the signing of a Lunar Surface Exploration Implementing Arrangement, in which Japan plans to provide and sustain operation of a pressurized lunar rover while the United States plans to allocate two astronaut flight opportunities to the lunar surface for Japan on future Artemis missions. The leaders announced a shared goal for a Japanese national to be the first non-American astronaut to land on the Moon on a future Artemis mission, assuming important benchmarks are achieved. The United States and Japan plan to deepen cooperation on astronaut training to facilitate this goal while managing the risks of these challenging and inspiring lunar surface missions. We also announce bilateral collaboration on a Low Earth Orbit detection and tracking constellation for missiles such as hypersonic glide vehicles, including potential collaboration with U.S. industry.

Leading on Innovation, Economic Security, and Climate Action

The United States and Japan aim to maximally align our economic, technology, and related strategies to advance innovation, strengthen our industrial bases, promote resilient and reliable supply chains, and build the strategic emerging industries of the future while pursuing deep emissions reductions this decade. Building on our efforts in the U.S.-Japan Competitiveness and Resilience (CoRe) Partnership, including through the U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee (our economic “2+2”), we intend to sharpen our innovative edge and strengthen our economic security, including by promoting and protecting critical and emerging technologies.

The United States and Japan welcome our robust economic and commercial ties through mutual investment, including Microsoft’s $2.9 billion investment in Japan on AI and cloud infrastructure, workforce training, and a research lab; and Toyota’s recent additional $8 billion battery production investment for a cumulative $13.9 billion investment in North Carolina. Japan is the top foreign investor in the United States with nearly $800 billion in foreign direct investment, and Japanese companies employ nearly 1 million Americans across all 50 states. Similarly, as a top foreign investor in Japan for many years, the United States is supporting Japan’s economic growth, and as two of the world’s largest financial sectors, we commit to strengthening our partnership to bolster cross-border investment and support financial stability. As robust and creative economies, we also plan to accelerate investment in our respective start-up environments to foster innovation through the “Japan Innovation Campus” in Silicon Valley and the “Global Startup Campus” to be established in Tokyo, and in companies that take actions toward sustainable value creation (SX). We welcome our new Japan-U.S. personnel exchange programs on startups and venture capital firms under the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative.

We are committed to strengthening our shared role as global leaders in the development and protection of next-generation critical and emerging technologies such as AI, quantum technology, semiconductors, and biotechnology through research exchange and private investment and capital finance, including with other like-minded partners. We welcome our collaboration on AI for Science between Riken and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) founded on the revised project arrangement.

We applaud the establishment of $110 million in new AI research partnerships – between the University of Washington and University of Tsukuba and between Carnegie Mellon University and Keio University – through funding from NVIDIA, Arm, Amazon, Microsoft, and a consortium of Japanese companies. We are committed to further advancing the Hiroshima AI Process and strengthening collaboration between the national AI Safety Institutes.

Building on our long history of semiconductor cooperation, we intend to establish a joint technology agenda for cooperation on issues such as research and development, design, and workforce development. We also welcome the robust cooperation between and with our private sectors, especially in next-generation semiconductors and advanced packaging. We also plan to work together along with like-minded countries to strengthen global semiconductor supply chains, particularly for mature node (“legacy”) semiconductors through information-sharing, coordination of policies, and addressing vulnerabilities stemming from non-market policies and practices. We also celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a first step in bilateral cooperation on quantum computing.

Building on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and our respective leadership of the G7 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) last year, we continue to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness for our economies. We applaud the recent entry into force of the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement. We will continue to seek cooperation on critical minerals projects, including those along the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Lobito Corridor, and through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) as well as the Partnership for Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement (RISE). We are cooperating to deter and address economic coercion, through our bilateral cooperation as well as through our work with like-minded partners including the G7 Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion. We are working to uphold a free, fair and rules-based economic order; address non-market policies and practices; build trusted, resilient, and sustainable supply chains; and promote open markets and fair competition under the U.S.-Japan economic “2+2” and the U.S.-Japan Commercial and Industrial Partnership. We will advance our commitment to operationalize data free flow with trust, including with respect to data security. We will also discuss the promotion of resilient and responsible seafood supply chains.

The United States and Japan recognize that the climate crisis is the existential challenge of our time and intend to be leaders in the global response. Towards our shared goal of accelerating the clean energy transition, we are launching a new high-level dialogue on how we implement our respective domestic measures and maximize their synergies and impacts, including the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) Promotion Strategy aimed at accelerating energy transition progress this decade, promoting complementary and innovative clean energy supply chains and improving industrial competitiveness. Today we announce Japan joins as the first international collaborator of the U.S. Floating Offshore Wind Shot. We intend to work together towards global ambition in line with the Wind Shot, taking into consideration national circumstances, through the Clean Energy and Energy Security Initiative (CEESI) to pursue innovative breakthroughs that drive down technology costs, accelerate decarbonization, and deliver benefits for coastal communities. The United States welcomes Japan’s newly-launched industry platform, the Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association (FLOWRA), aiming to reduce costs and achieve mass production of floating offshore wind through collaboration with academia.

We are further leading the way in developing and deploying next generation clean energy technology, including fusion energy development through the announcement of a U.S.-Japan Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Fusion Energy Demonstration and Commercialization.

The United States remains unwavering in its commitment to support the energy security of Japan and other allies, including its ability to predictably supply LNG while accelerating the global transition to zero-emissions energy and working with other fossil energy importers and producers to minimize methane emissions across the fossil energy value chain to the fullest extent practicable.

We intend to advance widespread adoption of innovative new clean energy technologies, and seek to increase the globally available supply of sustainable aviation fuel or feedstock, including those that are ethanol-based, that show promise in reducing emissions.

We are also working to align global health security and innovation, including in such areas as pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response and promoting more resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems. Today, we announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) intend to collaborate and exchange information on oncology drug products to help cancer patients receive earlier access to medications and to discuss future drug development and ways to prevent drug shortages. We welcome PMDA’s future representative office in Washington, D.C., to facilitate this cooperation.

Partnering on Global Diplomacy and Development

The challenges we face transcend geography. The United States and Japan are steadfast in our commitment to upholding international law, including the UN Charter, and call for all Member States to uphold the Charter’s purposes and principles, including refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. We remain committed to reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC), including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of its membership. President Biden reiterated support for Japan’s permanent membership on a reformed UNSC.

We reaffirm our commitment made in Hiroshima last year and are determined to further promote our cooperation in the G7 and work together with partners beyond the G7.

We emphasize the importance of all parties promoting open channels of communication and practical measures to reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation and to prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific. In particular, we underscore the importance of candid communication with the PRC, including at the leader level, and express the intent to work with the PRC where possible on areas of common interest.

We emphasize the importance of all States being able to exercise rights and freedoms in a manner consistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, including destabilizing actions in the South China Sea, such as unsafe encounters at sea and in the air as well as the militarization of disputed features and the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia. The PRC’s recent dangerous and escalatory behavior supporting its unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea as well as efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation are inconsistent with international law as reflected in UNCLOS. We also emphasize that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties to that proceeding. We resolve to work with partners, particularly in ASEAN, to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.

We emphasize that our basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged and reiterate the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

We continue working together with partner countries to make concrete progress in strengthening the international financial architecture and fostering investment under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. We are committed to delivering better, bigger, more effective multilateral development banks including through our planned contributions that would enable more than $30 billion in new World Bank lending and securing ambitious International Development Association and Asian Development Fund replenishments. We also emphasize the importance of private sector investment in the Indo-Pacific. We welcome the announcement of Google’s $1 billion investment in digital connectivity for North Pacific Connect, which expands the Pacific Connect Initiative, with NEC, to improve digital communications infrastructure between the United States, Japan and Pacific Island Nations. Building on the U.S.-Australia joint funding commitment for subsea cables last October, the United States and Japan plan to collaborate with like-minded partners to build trusted and more resilient networks and intend to contribute funds to provide subsea cables in the Pacific region, including $16 million towards cable systems for the Federated States of Micronesia and Tuvalu.

We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the Quad and its shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is stable, prosperous, and inclusive which continues to deliver results for the region. We reiterate the Quad’s unwavering support and respect for regional institutions, including ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We also reaffirm our support for ASEAN centrality and unity as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Southeast Asian countries are critical partners in the Indo-Pacific and the U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral aims to enhance trilateral defense and security cooperation while promoting economic security and resilience. Japan and the United States reaffirmed our intention to work to support the region’s priorities as articulated through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including through the PIF as the Pacific’s preeminent institution as well as through the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP).

As we pursue our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, we continue to build strong ties between key, like-minded partners in the region. Building on the historic success of the Camp David Trilateral Summit, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea continue to collaborate on promoting regional security, strengthening deterrence, coordinating development and humanitarian assistance, countering North Korea’s illicit cyber activities, and deepening our cooperation including on economic, clean energy, and technological issues. The United States and Japan also remain committed to advancing trilateral cooperation with Australia to ensure a peaceful and stable region.

We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions. We strongly condemn North Korea’s continued development of its ballistic missile program—including through launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and space launch vehicles using ballistic missile technologies—which poses a grave threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. We call on North Korea to respond to continued, genuine offers to return to diplomacy without preconditions. We call on all UN Member States to fully implement all relevant UNSC resolutions, especially in light of Russia’s recent veto. We urge North Korea to cease illicit activities that generate revenue for its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including malicious cyber activities. President Biden also reaffirms U.S. commitment to the immediate resolution of the abductions issue, and the two sides commit to continuing joint efforts to promote respect for human rights in North Korea.

We continue to stand together in firm opposition to Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, its strikes against Ukraine’s infrastructure and the terror of Russian occupation. We are committed to continuing to impose severe sanctions on Russia and provide unwavering support for Ukraine. Together, we reiterate our call on Russia to immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its forces from within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. Any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine by Russia is unacceptable. We also express serious concerns about growing North Korea-Russia military cooperation, which is supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and threatens to undermine peace and stability in Northeast Asia as well as the global non-proliferation regime.

As the linkages between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions have become stronger than ever, our two countries look forward to continuing to work together to enhance Japan-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and NATO-Indo-Pacific Four partnerships.

We once again unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas and others on October 7 of last year, and reaffirm Israel’s right to defend itself and its people consistent with international law. At the same time, we express our deep concern over the critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. We affirm the imperative of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and emphasize that the deal to release hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza. We affirm the imperative of realizing an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks as part of a deal that would release hostages held by Hamas and allow for delivery of essential additional humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need. We underscore the urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza and the crucial need to prevent regional escalation. We reiterate the importance of complying with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable, including with regard to the protection of civilians. We remain committed to an independent Palestinian state with Israel’s security guaranteed as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace.

We reaffirm the importance of supporting inclusive growth and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We continue to enhance policy coordination in the region, in particular on Haiti and Venezuela. We also recognize that promoting the stability and security for Haiti is one of the most pressing challenges in the Western Hemisphere, and we continue to support Haiti in restoring democratic order.

We also support African aspirations for peace, stability, and prosperity based on the rule of law. We continue to work together to support the democratic process and economic growth through our respective efforts, including our cooperation with African countries, Regional Economic Communities, the African Union, and multilateral organizations.

The United States and Japan are resolved to achieve a world without nuclear weapons through realistic and pragmatic approaches. It is critical that the overall decline in global nuclear arsenals achieved since the end of the Cold War continues and not be reversed, and the PRC’s accelerating build-up of its nuclear arsenal without transparency nor meaningful dialogue poses a concern to global and regional stability. We reaffirm the importance of upholding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and for the pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In promoting this universal goal of achieving a world without nuclear weapons, Japan’s “Hiroshima Action Plan” and the “G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament” are welcome contributions. The two leaders also welcomed the U.S. announcement to join the Japan-led “Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty Friends” initiative. We reaffirm the indispensable role of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, committing to fostering innovation and supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts in upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards. President Biden commended Japan’s safe, responsible, and science-based discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System treated water at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea. Our two countries plan to launch the Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning Partnership focusing on research cooperation for fuel debris retrieval.

To effectively address the myriad challenges outlined above, our global partnership is launching a Deputy Secretary of State/Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs-level dialogue involving our respective aid agencies to align our diplomatic and development efforts globally.

Fortifying People-to-People Ties

People-to-people exchanges are the most effective way to develop the future stewards of the U.S.-Japan relationship. In this regard, we recognize the achievements of exchange programs between our two countries, including the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, KAKEHASHI Project, the Japan Foundation’s programs, and the U.S.-Japan Council’s TOMODACHI Initiative, and commit ourselves to providing more opportunities to meet today’s needs, including through enhanced subnational exchanges on critical issues such as climate and energy. We also recognize the important role civil society has played in strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship over the past 170 years, including the 38 Japan-America Societies across the United States, the Asia Society, and the 29 America-Japan Societies across Japan.

Building on the Memorandum of Cooperation in Education signed between us on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima, today we announce our commitment to increase student mobility through the new $12 million “Mineta Ambassadors Program (MAP)” education exchange endowment administered by the U.S.-Japan Council for U.S. and Japanese high school and university students who will “map” the future of the relationship with support from Apple, the BlackRock Foundation, Toshizo Watanabe Foundation, and other founding donors. In this regard, we also welcome Japan’s new initiative to expand scholarship for Japanese students through the Japan Student Servicers Organization.

We recognize the significant contributions made by the binational Japan-U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan) over the past 72 years. We welcome recent changes to upgrade the program by reopening scholarships to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields for the first time in 50 years, with the first STEM students on track to participate in academic year 2025-26, as well as removing the tuition cap for Japanese Fulbright participants to attract the highest quality students and researchers.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Mansfield Fellowship Program, we honor the legacy of Ambassador Mansfield’s contributions through the University of Montana Mansfield Center and Mansfield Foundation. The two leaders also welcome the creation of the Government of Japan endowed Mansfield Professor of Japanese and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the University of Montana.

Upon the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who made incredible contributions to our bilateral relationship, we praise the efforts of Japanese American leaders to build a bridge between the two countries and to address common community issues, including through support to the U.S.-Japan Council’s newly launched TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui project. We also share the recognition on the importance of exchanges between our legislatures. We acknowledge the importance of language study, particularly in person, to develop long-term ties and announce a new Memorandum of Cooperation to increase opportunities for the number of exchange visitors from Japan to share their specialized knowledge of Japanese language and culture in the United States, as well as welcome efforts to expand the Japanese Language Education Assistant Program (J-LEAP).

The two leaders also affirm that women in leadership remain their focus and reaffirm our pledge to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity. We welcome close cooperation on Women, Peace, and Security and Women’s Economic Empowerment initiatives and efforts to promote women and girls’ full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership in public life.

Finally, we emphasize the need to build a diverse pipeline of future U.S.-Japan experts who understand and support the Alliance. Our peoples form the core of our Alliance, and we reaffirm our commitment to forge ever-closer bonds for generations to come.

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Through our shared and steadfast commitment, we have taken bold and courageous steps to bring the U.S.-Japan Alliance to unprecedented heights. In so doing, we have equipped our partnership to protect and advance peace, security, prosperity, and the rule of law across the Indo-Pacific and the globe so that everyone benefits. Today, we celebrate the enduring friendship among our peoples—and among ourselves—and pledge to continue our relentless efforts to ensure that our global partnership drives future peace and prosperity for generations to come.

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