TOKYO — Candidates vying to become Japan's next prime minister discussed national security issues in Okinawa on Tuesday, with former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposing joint management of US military bases in the prefecture with Japanese forces.
The talks come as China increases military pressure on Taiwan and expands its naval presence in the East and South China Seas. Japan has responded by strengthening island defenses, establishing new Self-Defense Force bases on Okinawa's Yonaguni, Miyako and Ishigaki islands since 2016.