A: Hey there, buddy! Heard any interesting news lately?

B: Not much, just the usual stuff. What's up?

A: So, did you catch that bit about Japan and the US defense chiefs agreeing on something in cyberspace?

B: No, I missed that one. What's it all about?

A: They're planning to beef up their cooperation, especially when it comes to preventing cyberattacks! It was discussed during a meeting between the Japanese Defense Minister and the US Defense Secretary in Singapore.

B: That sounds important. I guess the US is making a new defense strategy, right?

A: Exactly! And they want Japan's help to make sure their strategies line up. The Japanese have already passed a law for something called "active cyber defense," which helps stop potential attacks before they happen.

B: Wow, that sounds smart! They also want to get stronger in defending themselves against cyberattacks.

A: You got it! And they're going to hold meetings between their foreign and defense chiefs to discuss more about this.

B: By the way, did the US secretary talk about increasing Japan's defense spending?

A: Well, the Japanese minister didn't want to say exactly what was discussed, but he did stress that Japan needs to boost its defense capabilities based on its own decisions and responsibilities.
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The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have agreed to strengthen cooperation in cyberspace.



The agreement was made in a meeting between Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Singapore on Saturday.



It comes as the United States is drawing up a national defense strategy, which will serve as a guideline for its national security policy.



Nakatani and Hegseth agreed to closely work together so that the priorities in the two countries' strategies can be aligned.



Nakatani explained to Hegseth that Japan has enacted legislation to implement what is called "active cyber defense" that is designed to preempt possible cyberattacks.



The two officials pledged to work together to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance.



They also agreed to coordinate on plans to hold a "two-plus-two" meeting of the foreign and defense chiefs of both countries.



Nakatani was asked by reporters after the talks whether the US secretary referred to a possible increase in Japan's defense spending.



The minister declined to comment on what exactly his US counterpart talked about. Nakatani said that he told Hegseth it is important for Japan to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities based on its own decisions and responsibilities.