Japan and U.S. defense chiefs discuss munitions production and ‘denial’ strategy

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth poses for a photo with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on the sidelines of an expanded ASEAN defense ministers' summit in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday in this image posted to Hegseth's official X account.

Oct 28, 2026

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense chiefs’ summit Wednesday in the Philippines, with the two discussing munitions production and their “deterrence through denial” strategy.

In a sign of the two defense chiefs’ close ties, the talks were their sixth in-person meeting.

Writing on X, Hegseth said the talks had focused on advancing a “shared vision of peace through strength.” 

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW