Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan met today with Japan's Minister of State for Space Policy, Masaji Matsuyama. The leaders discussed the importance of space to our mutual defense, and how the U.S. and Japan can expand our cooperation in this critical domain as we prepare for contingencies. They spoke about how space fits into the current security situation in the Asia-Pacific region, and how our two countries can increase cooperative efforts in areas such as satellite communications, hosted payloads, and Japanese participation in U.S. space wargaming. Shanahan noted that the National Defense Strategy, which will be released next week, will reaffirm the U.S. Department of Defense's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, to our alliances, and to building greater capabilities in the space domain. The two leaders agreed to continue efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance by integrating space into our political and military discussions at all levels.