US President Joe Biden has welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House. They are expected to increase cooperation over a perceived Chinese threat in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was welcomed by US President Joe Biden to the White House Tuesday night ahead of Wednesday’s official visit and formal state
The two leaders will discuss plans to restructure the US military presence in Japan in the face of perceived threats in the Asia-Pacific region, especially from China and North Korea. This will be the biggest upgrade to defense deals between Washington and Tokyo since the 1960s.
According to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the two leaders are expected to “announce measures to enhance security cooperation, to enable greater coordination and integration of our forces.”
Media reports say they could agree to the biggest upgrade in US-Japan command and control structures in decades.
What is Kishida’s plan
Kishida is traveling with his wife Yuko and was welcomed by Biden and the First Lady Jill.
“Our nations are partners in a world where we choose creation over destruction, peace over bloodshed, and democracy over autocracy,” Jill Biden told reporters during a preview of Wednesday’s state dinner.
The summit officially begins on Wednesday with a welcome including military bands, which will be followed by a meeting between Biden and Kishida. The two will then hold a joint news conference in the Rose Garden.
On Thursday, Biden will host a summit between Japan, the US and the Philippines, which will be attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
Kishida will also address the US Congress, the second Japanese leader to do so after the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
This will be followed by a gala dinner hosted by the Bidens.
Kishida’s last visit to the US was in August last year, when he was also joined by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Last month, Biden announced he opposes the planned sale of the US Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, raising fears this could cause a potential rift between him and Kishida.
Source: Dw
