U.S.-Japan Defense Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo in October. EPA Yonhap News

The defense ministers of the United States and Japan on the 12th (Japan time) shared information and confirmed cooperation regarding the Chinese military aircraft carrier's fighter jets targeting Japanese Self-Defense Force fighters with radar, among other matters, during a phone call.

According to Japanese media, including Kyodo News, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi spoke by phone for about 40 minutes starting at 6 a.m. on the same day.

Both sides pointed out that China's actions do not contribute to regional peace and stability and heighten tensions, expressing serious concern, Defense Minister Koizumi told a press conference on the same day.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Defense Minister Koizumi stated, "I explained the circumstances and response to Minister Hegses regarding the Chinese radar illumination incident that occurred on the 6th and the joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers around our country (Japan) on the 9th."

He added, "China is disseminating information that is completely contrary to the facts, but we do not wish to escalate tensions." He also conveyed that "we are making necessary counterarguments and responding calmly while keeping the door for dialogue open."

The defense ministers of both countries agreed to continue close communication and cooperation, and to coordinate a face-to-face meeting in the United States in January of next year.

At the press conference, Defense Minister Koizumi emphasized, "We will quietly conduct reconnaissance and surveillance activities in the waters and airspace around our country, and respond calmly and resolutely to any unforeseen situations."

In response to the joint flight of Chinese and Russian bombers, U.S. strategic bombers and Japanese Self-Defense Force fighters conducted joint exercises in the airspace over the East Sea on the 10th, effectively deterring China's military actions.

In a press release regarding the phone call on the 11th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the two ministers "discussed Japan's efforts to increase defense spending and enhance its capabilities, China's military activities, and the importance of realistic training throughout Japan, including the southwestern islands."

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Defense reported that the two ministers "reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance and emphasized their commitment to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific region."

In its press release, the United States used the general term "China's military activities." It did not specifically mention concrete examples such as "radar illumination" or "joint flights of Chinese and Russian bombers around Japan," nor did it include explicit expressions of concern regarding such activities.

The fact that the term "Asia-Pacific" appeared in the U.S. press release, instead of "Indo-Pacific," a term often interpreted as having a strong intention to check China by encompassing India, was also noteworthy.

Ultimately, while both sides seemed to reach an agreement on fundamental aspects such as the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance and the joint establishment of deterrence against China, some might perceive a subtle difference in tone between the two countries' announcements regarding this phone call, with Japan actively seeking U.S. intervention and the U.S. attempting to find an "appropriate" balance between China and Japan.

This phone call took place at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be showing a lack of unilateral support for his ally Japan, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takahashi's remarks suggesting intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

At a press briefing on the same day, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt stated regarding China-Japan tensions, "(The U.S. and Japan) are continuously cooperating, and Japan is a great ally of the United States," but also added, "President Trump maintains a good working relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping."

In response to China's diplomatic offensive following Prime Minister Takahashi's remarks on Taiwan, Defense Minister Koizumi has been making every effort to secure allies by successively contacting U.S. and European defense ministers recently.

On the 10th, he also held consecutive online meetings with Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, sharing concerns about China's military actions, such as radar illumination, and agreeing to strengthen cooperation.

Keiichi Ichikawa, Secretary-General of Japan's National Security Council, also spoke by phone with his French counterpart on foreign affairs on the 2nd, and with the German Chancellor's office's foreign and security policy advisor on the 10th.

This is seen as a response to meetings that Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party (and concurrently Minister of Foreign Affairs), held successively with the foreign ministers of France and Germany in early this month.

The Asahi Shimbun pointed out that the Chinese and Japanese governments are engaged in an information war to justify their respective claims, stating, "China is engaging in propaganda activities as if each agency is competing, and it appears that even baseless content is being disseminated."

It added, "Japan also intends to avoid a situation where relations further deteriorate as the claims of both sides escalate into a war of accusations."

In this regard, an official from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Asahi that it is important to respond calmly, stating, "The trend of the international community agreeing with China's claims is not spreading."

China has dismissed Japan's claims and stated that its "allies" should not align with Japan's position.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia-kun said at a regular press briefing that afternoon that he had received a separate question from a reporter about the U.S. and Japanese defense ministers expressing concern over radar illumination. He stated, "The facts and truth are very clear," and added, "Japan is talking to itself, and its statements are inconsistent. By doing so, it is revealing its true intentions of creating tension and deliberately provoking conflict and exaggerating."

He further stated, "We advise Japan to face the core of the current difficulties in China-Japan relations squarely, sincerely reflect on its mistakes, and withdraw the misguided remarks made by Prime Minister Sanae Takahashi regarding Taiwan. It should not divert attention and create other issues."

He concluded by saying, "We hope that the international community will clearly discern the truth and not be deceived by Japan." He added, "Japan's allies, in particular, must be keenly aware of Japan's intentions and not be swayed by its words."