READOUT: Ranking Member Shaheen and Senator Curtis’s Bipartisan Delegation Travel to Japan

TOKYO, JAPAN - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Japan for meetings with senior government officials, U.S. military leadership and private sector partners. The delegation also included Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

In meetings with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara and senior defense, foreign affairs and economy ministry counterparts, Senator Shaheen and the delegation thanked the Japanese government for its bold investments in defense capabilities, collaboration to strengthen critical minerals supply chains and trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea against shared regional threats. The delegation welcomed Tokyo's commitment to enhance its defense capabilities and accelerate plans to spend two percent of GDP on defense. Shaheen emphasized that the United States is also taking important steps to upgrade its force posture in Japan, strengthen command structures and better position forces to deter conflict and shore up the region's stability.

The Senators underscored that the U.S.-Japan Alliance is a cornerstone of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-pacific-grounded in shared democratic values, mutual security commitments and deep economic ties. Japan is the world's top source of foreign direct investment in the United States and America's sixth-largest trade partner last year, with two-way trade exceeding $300 billion. Japanese companies have been the number one foreign employer in the U.S. manufacturing sector for nearly two decades. The Senators also welcomed leader-level initiative from Tokyo and Seoul to enhance bilateral Japan-ROK cooperation and continue trilateral cooperation with the United States.

The delegation also received briefings from U.S. Forces Japan and discussed ongoing efforts to modernize command structures, enhance joint operations with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and maintain a strong forward-deployed U.S. presence in the region. The Senators emphasized that these challenges, including increasing alignment between the People's Republic of China, Russia and North Korea, will require deepening security cooperation and expanding joint defense industrial bases.

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