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                 Hagel Seeks to Reassure Japan on Security Ties

   U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is in Japan where he will seek to
   reassure officials that the United States is committed to its mutual
   defense treaties in the region.
   Speaking at the U.S. Yokota Air Base outside Tokyo Saturday, Hagel said
   Russia`s annexation of Crimea and troop movements along the border with
   Ukraine have sparked worries among allies in the Pacific region and
   elsewhere. Washington and its allies have said they will not defend
   Ukraine militarily because it is not a NATO member.
   Hagel told reporters that during his two-day visit, he will attempt to
   reassure Japanese leaders that Washington is strongly committed to
   protecting Japan`s security. Japan and several Southeast Asian nations
   are locked in bitter territorial disputes with China, which lays claims
   to several islands in the region.
   While Washington has repeatedly said it takes no side on the question
   of the disputed islands, Hagel said the U.S. wants the countries in the
   region to resolve the disputes peacefully.
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   rity-ties/1886939.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/hagel-seeks-to-reassure-japan-on-security-ties/1886939.html