evidence: Article V of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty states the United States' "ironclad" commitment to defend all of Japan, including the Senkaku Islands and other territories, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The Senkaku Islands, claimed by China, are in the East China Sea, about 43 miles northeast of Taiwan. [...] Japan and the U.S. face major challenges including China's coercive behavior, North Korea's dangerous provocations and Russia's reckless war of choice against Ukraine, he said.