PRESIDENT of the United States (US) Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced increased defense ties. Washington and Tokyo are trying to counter China’s rise.
Biden rolled out the red carpet for Kishida at a lavish dinner invitation, accompanied by singing from Paul Simon. Biden underscored the importance of Japan as a key ally against Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region.
As a reward, the US awarded Japan a ticket to the Moon. Later, Japanese astronauts would become the first non-Americans to walk on the Moon.
“This is the most significant enhancement in our alliance since it was first founded,” Biden, 81, said at a press conference with Kishida in the Rose Garden of the White House, US.
The two leaders announced plans to restructure US military command in Japan, the biggest change since the 1960s. The move aims to make US and Japanese forces more agile in the event of a threat, such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
The US, Japan and Australia will also launch a joint air defense network. Meanwhile Britain will take part in military exercises with Washington and Tokyo.
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US officials say improving broader ties also aims to reassure allies of long-term support. That could continue even if Donald Trump defeats Biden in the US presidential election in November.
The move comes amid tensions over Beijing’s claims to Taiwan and much of the South China Sea, despite efforts by Washington to reduce the risk of conflict.
Biden emphasized that the military buildup around China is a defensive strategy and not aimed at launching an attack. Meanwhile, Kishida called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
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“Unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion are completely unacceptable, wherever they occur,” Kishida said.
Biden has made no bones about his desire to create alliances across the region to counter China. Biden will host the first trilateral summit between Japan, the Philippines and the US, aimed at deepening Washington’s alliances.
Kishida’s pomp-filled state visit was also intended to underscore broader cultural and economic ties between the two allies who fought 80 years ago.
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Biden’s special dinner was given to 66-year-old Kishida and his wife Yuko. Also present on this occasion were actor Robert DeNiro, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and former US President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Kishida cited a statement from the 1960s cult US television show Star Trek, whose title refers to space as the final frontier and depicts a daring mission to go where no human has gone before.
“I would like to toast our journey to the frontier of US-Japan relations with these words, ‘depart boldly,'” Kishida said.
Seated at tables decorated with fans and cherry blossom branches, guests enjoyed cured salmon fillets, dry-aged ribs with wasabi sauce, and salted caramel pistachio cake with cherry ice cream.
After dinner, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ star Simon performed a selection of songs. Kishida is the first Japanese leader to receive a state visit to the US since Shinzo Abe in 2015, and the fifth world leader to receive a state visit since Biden took office in 2021.
Four of them are Asian leaders, reflecting Biden’s strategic priorities as he grapples with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. (AFP/France24/Cah/Z-7)
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