US, Japan hail stronger ties, including 2 new defense deals

By MATTHEW LEE and ROBERT BURNS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. and Japanese officials are highlighting new defense agreements, including a five-year deal on sharing the cost of the American military presence in Japan. That deal ends a Trump-era row that had been an irritant in relations between Tokyo and Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed the deal in remarks at the opening of a virtual conference with their Japanese counterparts. Their talks come as tensions rise between both allies and China and in the aftermath of a worrisome new North Korean missile test.