Japan moved forward with expanding its support for US troops shortly after requesting that they stay on base as COVID-19 cases jump in areas where they are based in large numbers, including Okinawa and Iwakuni, both in southern Japan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the two countries had agreed to a five-year extension of Japan's support package for the hosting of about 50,000 US troops on its soil.

"Beijing's provocative actions keep raising tensions across the Taiwan Strait and in the East and South China Sea," Blinken added.

The top US official has also described North Korea's missile program as an "ongoing threat" after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile into the sea.

On his account, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Friday voiced Beijing's "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the US, Japan, and Australia crudely interfering in China's internal affairs."

"The US, Japan, and Australia talk about freedom, openness, and tolerance, but in fact, they are ganging up to form small cliques targeting other countries, showing off their military strength and carrying out military intimidation," he added.

The new five-year package, according to the Japanese foreign ministry, will cost 211 billion yen ($1.8 billion) every fiscal year, an increase of nearly 5%.

Japan asked US forces to stay on base

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Foreign Minister, told reporters on Friday that he had discussed the issue of COVID-19 clusters on US bases, which are believed to have spread to local people in various regions.

New virus restrictions were authorized by Japan's government on Friday in three regions that host or are near US facilities, and Hayashi said he had encouraged "The US side to intensify anti-infection measures, including steps like establishing limits on off-base trips."

It is worth mentioning that Japan developed a close alliance with Washington since 1960, which is treaty-bound to defend the world's third-largest economy.