The US and Japan are making efforts to hold official talks on a range of security issues including the US nuclear umbrella, a topic usually off the agenda, later this month , US-Japan relations sources said.
The talks are aimed at enhancing bilateral alliance after North Korean nuclear and missile threats and China's military buildup and will involve director general-level officials from the US State and Defense departments and their Japanese counterparts, the sources added.
Such high level talks between the two countries have not been held since September 2000 although deputy director general-level officials have met frequently for unofficial talks over the stalling process of US forces realignment.
Top-level bilateral security talks, the so-called two-plus-two ministerial talks were last held in May 2007.
The planned talks are also expected to address the issues of force realignment, cost of maintaining the US military in Japan as well as missile defense, the sources informed.
The outcome of the talks will be reflected when Tokyo updates its five-year National Defense Program Outline at the end of this year and Washington works on its Quadrennial Defense Review and Nuclear Posture Review, they said.
The two governments have so far however only reaffirmed the US commitment to protect Japan with its nuclear umbrella, but this time they are expected to discuss such details as the US nuclear strike capability and military deployment, the sources added.
