US and Japan's top defense officials and diplomats have announced plans to strengthen their military cooperation following a meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, amid bullish moves by China in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were taking part in the two "2+2" security talks with their Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara.

"Great to be in Japan for the 2024 US-Japan 2+2 meeting. Our alliance with Japan is the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific — and it is stronger than ever,” Austin posted on X on his arrival in Japan.

Austin said the officials planned to discuss "historic efforts to modernize" US and Japanese command and control structures, including for US forces in Japan.

Japanese Foreign Minister said the US and Japan were in a "critical phase."

"We are at a turning point in history as the rules-based, free and open international order is shaken to the core," Kamikawa said.

What do we know about the plans to upgrade defense in Japan?

The two sides have confirmed plans to set up new US control and command centers and boost American-licensed missile production in Japan.

With Japan set to unroll a new joint command for its own armed forces in March, Austin announced a similar US structure for Japan.

"It will be one of the most significant developments in the history of our alliance," Austin told reporters ahead of the talks.

Separately, a US military official told the AFP news agency that the center would be headed by a three-star commander, .

The US already has well above 50,000 troops stationed in Japan. However, those troops currently receive their orders from the Indo-Pacific Command in the US state of Hawaii. While the US does have a commander stationed in Tokyo, that post is focused on managing the US bases.

Now, the US is planning to deploy higher-ranking officers to streamline and improve cooperation with its closest ally in Asia.

US, Japan hit out at China, Russia

The four delegates slammed Beijing's "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea and condemned Russia's growing military cooperation with China and North Korea.

Austin, in his address, said China is "engaging in coercive behavior, trying to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, around Taiwan and throughout the region," adding that North Korea's nuclear program and its deepening cooperation with Russia "threaten regional and global security."

The US and Japanese representatives accused China of "destabilizing actions" such as "unsafe encounters at sea and in the air, efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resources exploitation, as well as the dangerous use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels-"

The allies also expressed their concern over Beijing's "ongoing and rapid expansion of its nuclear weapons arsenal, which continues without any transparency regarding its intent and which the PRC refuses to acknowledge, despite publicly available evidence."

Japan moving away from its pacifist stance

Concerned about the rising threat posed by China and North Korea, Japan has in recent years moved away from its pacifist position and has increased its defense power to obtain "counterstrike" capabilities.

During the meeting, the US officials reaffirmed Washington's commitment to "extended deterrence," which includes atomic weapons and the so-called "nuclear umbrella" provided by the US.

This marks a shift for Japan which shied away from the subject of nuclear power as the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks.

Besides the US, Japan has also increased its cooperation with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including South Korea and the Philippines.

Earlier this year, the US held trilateral meetings with Tokyo and Manila  and signed a memorandum to increase cooperation with South Korea.

mfi/dj (AFP, AP)