U.S. President Biden videotaped Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (on the screen) on the evening of the 21st. The two sides agreed to establish a ministerial economic version of the “2 plus 2 talks.” They also spent a lot of time discussing China’s intimidation of neighboring countries.Figure: Flip from Biden’s Facebook
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a video conference on the evening of the 21st. Both sides agreed to cooperate and deepen cooperation with other countries in order to realize a “free and open Indo-Pacific region”. It also took a lot of time. Discuss views on China, deeply concerned about China’s intimidation of neighbors and predatory measures. Kishida also invited Biden to visit Japan at the end of the spring to participate in the “Quarter Security Dialogue” (QUAD) meeting, which Biden has approved, but it depends on the COVID-19 epidemic.
Including the White House of the United States and the Japanese Prime Minister’s residence, both Biden and Fumio Kishida issued a statement on the video conference, and the two sides had about 90 minutes of dialogue. Kishida mentioned that the two discussed and shared their views on China in a very in-depth manner, emphasizing the desire to promote and defend a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with particular attention to China and North Korea’s nuclear weapons construction.
In the statement, the two leaders also announced the establishment of a new economic forum, the economic version of the “2 plus 2 talks” at ministerial level. In the field, both emphasized that the close partnership between Japan and the United States, whether in the semiconductor field or in the energy field, is crucial to advancing the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Regarding Taiwan, both Japan and the United States have emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and are willing to make efforts to promote the peaceful settlement of cross-strait issues. Japan has said it will cooperate with the United States on the current tensions in Ukraine.
In the discussion of regional affairs, Japan and the United States will focus on the issue of nuclear missiles between China and North Korea, and the two sides will cooperate closely on issues including the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang Uyghurs. Kishida said that he would exchange views with Biden on the China issue, oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and oppose economic intimidation. Among them, Biden also applied Article 5 of the “US-Japan Security Treaty” to the Diaoyutai Islands (called the Senkaku Islands in Japan), saying that his commitment to Japan’s defense remained unchanged.
In order to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region, both the United States and Japan hope to deepen cooperation with other countries. Kishida said that he will hold a “Quarter Security Dialogue” meeting at the end of the spring. The Security Dialogue will focus on ensuring close engagement and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), mutual commitment to support the importance of regional security and architecture.