U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly mused in private about ending America's longstanding defense treaty with Japan.
Quoting three people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported on Monday that Trump recently told confidants about withdrawing from the accord with Japan because it is unfair to the U.S.
The report said Trump regards the accord as too one-sided because it promises U.S aid if Japan is ever attacked but doesn’t oblige Japan’s military to come to America’s defense.
The treaty, signed more than 60 years ago, forms the foundation of the alliance between the countries that emerged from World War II.
Despite the U.S. president's comments, Bloomberg quotes administration officials as saying a pullout from the deal is highly unlikely.
The report notes that Trump has long criticized America’s security pacts around the world, including its alliance with South Korea, NATO and others, but hasn’t moved to withdraw from such agreements the way he has with trade deals.
Meanwhile, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga denied the report during a regular news briefing on Tuesday, saying that a senior White House official confirmed that the report is inconsistent with the U.S. government's position.
Trump is scheduled to visit Japan this week for the annual G20 summit in Osaka.