奥巴马周二在白宫会晤日本首相安倍晋三

President Barack Obama welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House on Tuesday for an official state visit expected to focus on expanding bilateral defense and economic ties.

Ahead of the visit, Mr. Abe and other top Japanese officials met their U.S. counterparts in New York on Monday and agreed to tighten their defense alliance, a move widely seen as a response to China\'s growing power.

The revised guidelines help Japan play a larger part in international conflicts, allowing Tokyo to come to the defense of a third country and strengthening its role in missile defense, mine sweeping, and ship inspections.

It is the first time in 18 years the U.S. and Japan have revised their defense guidelines. The move follows Japan\'s decision last year to reinterpret its pacifist constitution to allow for collective self-defense.

"Today we mark the establishment of Japan\'s capacity to defend not just its own territory, but also the United States and other partners, as needed," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at a news conference.

Kerry also provided fresh assurances that a group of islands claimed by both China and Japan fall under the scope of a mutual defense treaty, meaning Washington is obliged to come to Tokyo\'s aid in the event the islands are attacked.

造访白宫之前，安倍晋三和其他日本高层官员星期一在纽约会见了美国官员。双方同意加强防务联盟。这一举措被广泛视为对中国扩充实力做出的反应。

经过修订的防务指针使日本得以在国际冲突中发挥更大的作用。东京可以协助防卫第三国，并加强在导弹防御、排雷以及船只检查等方面的作用。

这是美国和日本18年来首次修订防务指针。在此之前，日本去年对其和平主义宪法加以重新解释，规定日本可以参与集体自卫。

美国国务卿克里在记者会上说：“今天，我们确认日本不但有能力防卫本国领土，而且有能力在必要时防卫美国和其他伙伴。”

克里重申，中国和日本都宣称拥有主权的一些岛屿属于共同防务条约的范围。这意味着这些岛屿一旦遭到攻击，华盛顿有义务为东京提供援助。