Ishiba, who heads the LDP, is reportedly considering proposals to revise the Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement and establish an Asian equivalent of NATO, sources said on Monday.
"Peace and security around Taiwan is an extremely important issue," Ishiba said, adding, "We'll closely monitor the situation as we make ourselves ready to respond to any event."
The prime minister has instructed Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to assess the deployment of U.S. forces in Italy and Germany during his upcoming visit to a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Europe.
Ishiba emphasized the need for these discussions to be conducted in close collaboration with the foreign and defense ministries.
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