US and Japan agree to establish a Japanese facility for joint missile production

From left, Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles, Japan Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepare to leave after posing for pictures before holding a Quadrilateral Meeting on the sidelines of the 20th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and 13th ADMM-Plus Meetings in Cebu, Philippines, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. Rolex Dela Pena/Pool EPA via AP hide caption Rolex Dela Pena/Pool EPA via AP CEBU, Philippines — The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, the Japanese defense chief said. It is the latest move by the allies, which have repeatedly expressed alarm over China's growing assertiveness in Asia. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi made the announcement in a news conference Wednesday night in the central Philippine province of Cebu, where he met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts. Koizumi renews concern over China's naval a...