TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is considering visiting the United States in mid-January to hold talks with his counterpart Pete Hegseth, sources familiar with Japan-U.S. relations said Tuesday.

The two sides are expected to discuss the promotion of defense equipment and technology cooperation, including joint missile production and joint maintenance of U.S. military ships and aircraft.

It would be Koizumi's first visit to the United States since he assumed his current post in late October.

The Japanese and U.S. governments are considering the early start of joint production of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and large-scale repairs of U.S. ships by Japan.

Koizumi hopes to reemphasize Japan's stance of proactively increasing defense spending.

The country has decided to bring forward its target of raising defense spending and related initiatives to 2 percent of its gross domestic product by two years to fiscal 2025, with the enactment of a supplementary budget during the current parliamentary session.

A further increase in Japan's defense spending might be discussed at the ministerial meeting. The administration of President Donald Trump has reportedly pressed Tokyo behind the scenes to raise the ratio to 3.5 percent of GDP.

Japan and the United States are also expected to share information on the progress and direction of talks on abolishing the current rule that limits defense equipment exports to five non-combat purposes, such as rescue, and revising the three key security-related documents.

In addition, the two defense chiefs, with China's maritime assertiveness in mind, are expected to affirm their commitment to stepping up joint military exercises and expanding their presence in the Nansei island chain, which stretches southwest from Japan's Kyushu region toward Taiwan.

Koizumi and Hegseth are also expected to agree on the importance of multilateral cooperation with South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and other countries.