Japan and the U.S. have held regular talks on the United States¡¯ ¡°nuclear umbrella,¡± the two sides said Sunday, with discussions also focusing on China¡¯s ¡°destabilizing nuclear weapons buildup and testing.¡±
The meeting, known as the Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD), came amid growing U.S. and Japanese tensions with China over Beijing¡¯s push to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal ¡ª an issue broached during the talks.
¡°The two delegations discussed China¡¯s rapid, opaque, and destabilizing nuclear weapons buildup and testing, as well as Russia¡¯s historical noncompliance with arms control,¡± the Defense Ministry said in a statement. ¡°The United States reiterated the need for multilateral strategic stability and arms control talks. Japan welcomed the U.S. intention to achieve a better agreement and emphasized the importance of involving Russia and China.¡±
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