TOKYO (Sputnik) — Mattis will not demand the increase of payments for the US military presence within his upcoming visits to Japan and South Korea, since they are not aimed at "major changes" in the US course, the Kyodo news agency reported, citing its sources in the Japanese and the US government.
Mattis is expected to visit South Korea on February 2, and Japan on February 3-4.
During the election campaign US President Donald Trump said that he would like to make countries such as Japan, Germany and South Korea pay for their alliance with the United States and protection by the US troops on their territories.
