00:00Can you follow up on that, Mr. Secretary? Japan's Prime Minister said his country needs to wean itself from U.S. dependence in key areas such as security as Tokyo faces the prospect of tariffs. Did you discuss that in your meeting with the Germans?
00:13No, we haven't. But at the end of the day, look, I don't think that that's a negative comment, per se. We obviously have very strong commitments in an alliance with Japan. We continue to cooperate very closely with them. As I speak to you now, there are active exercises going on between the United States and Japan.
00:29So our relationship with them will continue to exist. The idea that somehow Japan would be able to develop domestic capability, their own capabilities for mutual self-defense is not, not only is it not something that we find offensive, it's something we'd be supportive of, obviously within the confines of their constitutional system.
00:46But they have some limitations on what they can do. But the idea that Japan's military would become more capable is not something we would be offended by, it's something we would actually be encouraged by.
