日米、防衛相会談調整　５月上旬にも、ハワイで

　木原稔防衛相が５月上旬にも米ハワイを訪問し、オースティン国防長官と会談する方向で調整していることが１８日、分かった。中国の不透明な軍拡をにらみ、先の日米首脳会談で確認した「より効果的な日米同盟の指揮・統制」実現や、防衛装備品の共同開発・生産に関する協議体創設への議論加速を申し合わせる。
　防衛省関係者が明らかにした。日米は外務・防衛担当閣僚による安全保障協議委員会（２プラス２）の５月末開催を模索していたが、先送りとなる見通し。（2024/04/18-10:38）

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara is considering visiting Hawaii to meet his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, as early as the beginning of May, Japanese Defense Ministry officials said Thursday.
   In the face of China's military expansion, Kihara and Austin are expected to agree to accelerate efforts to realize more effective command and control systems for the Japan-U.S. alliance and establish a body to discuss the joint development and production of defense equipment, as confirmed at a bilateral summit earlier this month, according to the officials.
   Tokyo and Washington had considered holding a so-called two-plus-two meeting of their foreign and defense ministers in late May, but the meeting is now expected to be put off to a later date.
   Also in Hawaii, a four-way meeting of defense ministers from Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines is being mooted.
   In early April, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the militaries of the United States, Australia and the Philippines conducted a joint exercise in the South China Sea as part of the four nations' "maritime cooperative activity" for the first time. The four apparently hope to highlight their unity also through the defense ministers meeting.