Japan and the US yesterday called for strengthening their alliance as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The tiny island of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean lies about 1,250km from Tokyo and was the scene of five weeks of brutal combat between Japanese and US forces in World War II.
“I’d like to pay my respects to the souls of those who fought for our country on Iwo Jima and renew our pledge to peace,” Ishiba said at the joint Japan-US memorial service on the island.
Photo: AFP
“I’d also like to reiterate our determination to keep the preciousness of peace in our hearts and to raise the US-Japan alliance, which brings peace and prosperity to the world, to new heights,” he said.
Nearly all of Japan’s 21,000 soldiers were killed, fighting inside a network of tunnels, on Iwo Jima, while the US side had more than 6,800 fatalities.
“The US-Japan alliance shows those brave men of 1945 how yesterday’s enemy has become today’s friend,” Hegseth said. “Our alliance has been and remains the cornerstone of freedom, prosperity, security and peace in the Indo-Pacific, and it will continue.”
An image of US marines raising the Stars and Stripes on the island became one of the most famous photos of World War II, and the battle has inspired numerous books and movies.
The ceremony was about “confirming post-war reconciliation between Japan and the United States and praying for further friendship through joint memorial and tribute activities for the war dead,” the Japanese government said.
It was also attended by Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, who is due to hold talks with Hegseth in Tokyo today.
Nakatani said that the discussions would touch on “sharing recognition on regional issues” and “measures to further strengthen responsiveness and deterrence.”
Japan and the US are each other’s top foreign investors, and 54,000 US military personnel are stationed in Japan, mostly in Okinawa, east of Taiwan.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS