Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on 1 July that Tokyo will pursue a “drastic strengthening” of its defense capabilities based solely on its own judgment. He said the discussion did not touch on any numerical spending targets, even as Washington has urged allies to shoulder more of their security costs. Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba reiterated the stance on 2 July, stressing that any decision to raise defense outlays would be made domestically and that no request for spending at 5 percent of gross domestic product had been received. The remarks follow a Pentagon paper last month suggesting Japan raise military spending to about 5 percent of GDP, well above the country’s current level. While U.S. officials continue to press for greater burden-sharing, Japanese leaders emphasized that budget decisions will reflect their own assessment of the strategic environment. Iwaya and Rubio also agreed to accelerate preparations for the next “two-plus-two” security meeting of their foreign and defense chiefs, and reviewed regional issues including China’s military posture, stability in the Taiwan Strait and North Korea’s missile program.