Japan foreign minister says Blinken gave U.S. commitment to defend Japan

Japan's new foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said on Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured him in a phone call that the U.S. commitment to defending Japan, including southern islets claimed by China, was unwavering.

They agreed that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait was important, Hayashi told reporters.