奧巴馬週二在白宮會晤日本首相安倍晉三
President Barack Obama welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House on Tuesday for an official state visit expected to focus on expanding bilateral defense and economic ties.
Ahead of the visit, Mr. Abe and other top Japanese officials met their U.S. counterparts in New York on Monday and agreed to tighten their defense alliance, a move widely seen as a response to China's growing power.
The revised guidelines help Japan play a larger part in international conflicts, allowing Tokyo to come to the defense of a third country and strengthening its role in missile defense, mine sweeping, and ship inspections.
It is the first time in 18 years the U.S. and Japan have revised their defense guidelines. The move follows Japan's decision last year to reinterpret its pacifist constitution to allow for collective self-defense.
"Today we mark the establishment of Japan's capacity to defend not just its own territory, but also the United States and other partners, as needed," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at a news conference.
Kerry also provided fresh assurances that a group of islands claimed by both China and Japan fall under the scope of a mutual defense treaty, meaning Washington is obliged to come to Tokyo's aid in the event the islands are attacked.美國總統奧巴馬歡迎日本首相安倍晉三星期二到白宮進行正式訪問，預計此次訪問的重點議題是擴大美日防務及貿易關係。
造訪白宮之前，安倍晉三和其他日本高層官員星期一在紐約會見了美國官員。雙方同意加強防務聯盟。這一舉措被廣泛視爲對中國擴充實力做出的反應。
經過修訂的防務指針使日本得以在國際衝突中發揮更大的作用。東京可以協助防衛第三國，並加強在導彈防禦、排雷以及船隻檢查等方面的作用。
這是美國和日本18年來首次修訂防務指針。在此之前，日本去年對其和平主義憲法加以重新解釋，規定日本可以參與集體自衛。
美國國務卿克里在記者會上說：“今天，我們確認日本不但有能力防衛本國領土，而且有能力在必要時防衛美國和其他夥伴。”
克里重申，中國和日本都宣稱擁有主權的一些島嶼屬於共同防務條約的範圍。這意味着這些島嶼一旦遭到攻擊，華盛頓有義務爲東京提供援助。
