US President Donald Trump has asked Japan to quadruple its payments for US forces stationed there, Foreign Policy reported, citing unnamed current and former US officials, as Washington presses long-standing allies to increase their defense spending.
Washington wants Tokyo to increase annual payments for the 54,000 US troops in Japan to around $8 billion from about $2 billion, Foreign Policy said, citing three unnamed former defense officials. The current agreement expires in March 2021.
The demand was made to Japanese officials during a trip to the region in July by John Bolton, at that time Trump's national security adviser, and Matt Pottinger, who was then the Asia director for the National Security Council, Foreign Policy said.