US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has called Japan an “indispensable partner” in deterring growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. Mr Hegseth announced upgrading the US military command in Japan to a new “war-fighting headquarters”. Advertisement On his first Asia trip with Japan as his second stop, Mr Hegseth also stressed the need for both countries to do more to accelerate the strengthening of their military capability as the region faces China’s assertive military actions and a possible Taiwan emergency. “Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” Mr Hegseth said at the beginning of his talks with...