WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera today on the sidelines of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting at the State Department to reaffirm the strength of the U.S-Japan Alliance, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said.

In a statement summarizing the meeting between the two defense leaders, White said Mattis emphasized that the United States remains steadfast in its ironclad commitment to defend Japan in the face of common threats, such as those posed by North Korea.

"They also discussed the accelerating implementation of the 2015 Revised Guidelines for Bilateral Defense Cooperation and enhancing Japan's defense capabilities," she added.