US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on a two-day visit, wants Japanese leaders to step up their efforts on global security, against the backdrop of a North Korean threat still viewed as serious in the region.
Officials traveling with Gates said yesterday that they expect a great deal of discussion about six-nation talks that led to North Korea's move this week to begin disabling nuclear facilities at its main Yongbyon complex.
The issue was also a hot topic during Gates' meetings earlier this week in South Korea, where Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo declared that he sees no reduction in the threat from North Korea as yet.
In a string of meetings yesterday and today, Gates is expected to discuss a broad range of issues, from Tokyo's recent decision to pull warships from their refueling mission in support of US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan to the restructuring of US troops and bases in Japan.
In a speech today, Gates is expected to call on Japan, Washington's top ally in Asia, to "take more responsibility in global security matters in keeping with a country of their political, economic and military capacity," one of the senior officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings with Japanese leaders are private.
Senior defense officials stressed that this will not be a lobbying mission by Gates to overturn the Japanese decision on the tankers. But he will have lunch today with Japanese officials, including some in the main opposition party who oppose the Afghanistan mission.
The refueling ships were ordered home after the Japanese government failed to hammer out a compromise over the mission with the main opposition party.
The ships provided about 7 percent of the fuel for maritime patrols.
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