n them in a peaceful way, U.S. Ambassador to Japan J. Thomas Schieffer said on Tuesday. "Both governments have emphasized that the issues between China and Taiwan should be resolved peacefully. And both sides have said that neither China nor Taiwan should do anything to provoke the other into military action," Schieffer told a news conference for the international media in Tokyo.
"And I think that it's a wise policy," Schieffer continued. "It is one that gives us the greatest hope for both resolving issues and keeping peace in the neighborhood."
"No one will be served by someone trying to solve this problem by military means," he said.
Schieffer also said that Japan should increase its defense budget.
While China, Korea, Russia and the United States have increased their military budget considerably over the past ten years, defense spending in Japan is roughly the same as in 1998.
"We believe that Japan should consider the benefits of increasing its own defense spending to make a greater not lesser contribution to its own security," said Schieffer.
Japan's Ministry of Defense expects a budget of 4.74 trillion yen (US$46 billion; euro30 billion) this fiscal year through March 2009, down 0.8 percent from the previous year -- a trend Schieffer called "troubling."
Japan's 2007 defense white paper, released in July, expressed concerns about China's military buildup and said the balance of military power between Taiwan and China was shifting in Beijing's favor. Japan called for greater transparency from China on its defense capabilities.
Over the last decade China has increased military expenditures by an average of 14.2 percent annually, and South Korea's defense budget has grown 73 percent, said J. Thomas Schieffer, U.S. ambassador in Japan since 2005.
Schieffer emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, especially for regional security in Asia.
"Now, a different world order is emerging, but the strategic necessity of that alliance remains....because Japan and America in alliance is still the best formula for peace and stability in the Pacific."
The U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, about half of whom are stationed in Okinawa.
The U.S.-Japan security alliance is based on an agreement signed in 1960 that obligates both countries to provide mutual military support in the event of an armed attack. However, the treaty takes into account Japan's constitutional restrictions that prohibit overseas deployment of its armed forces.
Schieffer also urged Japan, which is looking to buy new fighter jets, to choose planes and equipment that are compatible with U.S weapons systems. "The more joint operational we become, the better off we will be," he said.
Schieffer has been U.S. Ambassador to Japan since April 2005, and was previously U.S. Ambassador to Australia.
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