Biden and Kishida pledge to strengthen US-Japan ties as a counter to China
- The statement by the US president and Japanese prime minister cited challenges posed by ‘actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order by China’
- The meeting followed agreements earlier in the week by top military and diplomatic officials from both sides to harden Tokyo’s air, sea, land, cyber and space defences
US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, meeting in Washington on Friday, pledged to strengthen their nations’ ties, coordinate their global leadership agendas and bolster alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to counter an increasingly powerful China.
“Our security alliance has never been stronger,” the leaders said in a joint statement that included an exhaustive rundown of areas of agreement – from defence and economics to critical technologies and gender equality – but ploughed little new ground.
“At the same time, the Indo-Pacific faces growing challenges, from actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order by China to provocations by North Korea.”
Biden and Kishida opted not to hold a press conference after their meeting – often customary after summits – relying instead on a photo opportunity and the statement.
