3 February 2017, 05:47 GMT
TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed hope at the Friday meeting with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that Japan and the United State would remain committed to a strong partnership under the administration of President Donald Trump.
"We are sure and hope that we will be able to show steadfastness of the Japan-US alliance under the new administration of Trump," Abe said at the meeting with Mattis as quoted by the Kyodo news agency.
Mattis, on his part, said that the United States remained committed to the principles of collective security, prescribed by the bilateral Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
Article 5 of the treaty says that the United States will be protecting Japan in case of an attack of a third party and the two countries will be jointly responding to an attack on US military facilities in Japan.
The visit to South Korea and Japan has become the first visit of the new US defense secretary after he assumed office.
