US President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House on Wednesday and announced major plans to boost security ties amid the changing that include , and a .
“For the first time, Japan and the United States and Australia will create a network of air missile and defense architecture,” Biden told reporters at a joint press conference with Kishida.
The to modernize joint command and control structures. Biden said the upgrade was “purely defensive” in nature.
“It’s a defensive alliance. And the things we discussed today improve our cooperation and are purely about defense and readiness,” Biden said.
Kishida added that the US and Japan “will continue to respond to challenges concerning China through close coordination.”
“At the same time, we confirmed the importance of continuing our dialogue with China, and cooperating with China on common challenges,” he added.
Japan was determined to boost its “defense force through the acquisition of counter-strike capabilities” and Biden had voiced “strong support for such efforts.”
Facing a more determined China
The bilateral meeting comes as the US seeks a stronger Asian alliance structure, as China increases military expenditures and asserts itself more in , and by with air and naval drills.
China’s rising defense budget reflects the country’s growing military ambition. Chinese defense spending will climb to €215.5 billion this year, marking an increase of 7.2% compared to last year’s, and accounting for about 1.2% of the nation’s total economic output.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China ranks second worldwide in terms of military spending, behind only the United States.
On Thursday, Biden will host a summit between Japan, the US and the Philippines, which will be attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. The US and the Philippines have increased strategic cooperation since Marcos Jr. took office, as China sends coast guard vessels to harass Philippine supply boats.
North Korea’s nuclear program and are also a cause for concern for Japan, as the projectiles frequently fly over Japanese territory.
Kishida on Wednesday reiterated his desire for a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a bid to cool tensions. Pyongyang has so far rejected such overtures.
‘Unbreakable’ US-Japan partnership
Earlier in the day, Biden rolled out the red carpet for Kishida, and, welcoming the Japanese leader, said, “the partnership between us is unbreakable.”
Since taking office in 2021, Kishida has approved an increase in military spending in recent years, underscoring a shift away from the country’s self-defense-only principle. His government has worked to take on more offensive roles as it works with allies.
Kishida is traveling with his wife, Yuko, and was welcomed by the US president and First Lady Jill Biden on Tuesday.
“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 an informal dinner. The summit officially began Wednesday. The two held a closed-door meeting and the press conference followed.
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 by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
rm,tg/wmr (AFP, AP, Reuters)
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