US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Sunday that the United States will maintain a "reliable and robust deterrence" in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically emphasizing the Taiwan Strait amidst what he described as "aggressive" Chinese maneuvers around the self-governing island.

After discussions in Tokyo with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Hegseth affirmed that the US is committed to ensuring military readiness in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including through the Taiwan Strait.

"We discussed the precise and urgent security situation around Japan," Hegseth noted, adding that Japan will be on the front lines in response to any emergency in the western Pacific.

He emphasized the solidarity of the US and Japan in facing the aggressive and coercive actions of the Chinese Communist Party.

In recent years, Beijing has intensified military pressures on Taiwan with near-daily aerial incursions around the island, which China considers an integral part of its territory and has pledged to reclaim by force if necessary.

Taipei heavily relies on US support, as it is the primary supplier of arms to the island.

In early March, Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo remarked, "The United States cannot withdraw from the region, as it is in its core interest.

If Taiwan falls under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, what will be the situation for Japan and the Philippines?"

Japan, for its part, also depends on the US for security matters, with 54,000 American troops stationed across the archipelago, particularly in Okinawa, located to the east of Taiwan.

Amid the "America First" policy adopted by the administration of former President Donald Trump, concerns have arisen among US allies, both in Europe and Asia, regarding a perceived decline in American commitment.

Washington has been urging its allies to significantly increase their military spending, aiming for 2% of GDP among NATO member states.

Japan, having shifted from its pacifist policy, is now working to enhance its "counter-strike capabilities" and plans to double its military expenditure to also reach 2% of GDP. However, it is anticipated that the US may request even greater military commitments from its ally.

Minister Nakatani highlighted Japan's ongoing efforts to significantly bolster its defensive capabilities.

Last year, President Joe Biden and then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the beginning of a "new era" of cooperation, which includes the establishment of a new US base in Japan.

This base will replace the American "Indo-Pacific Command" in Hawaii and will be subordinate to a new joint command recently created by Tokyo, which aims to enhance the responsiveness of both nations' forces in the event of a crisis in Taiwan or on the Korean Peninsula.