Biden reiterated the “unwavering commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan.”
President Biden offered a strong show of support for Japan on Friday during a visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, reiterating the “unwavering commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan” as the two leaders announced measures to deepen a strategic alliance to deter China.
Kishida’s first visit to Washington since becoming prime minister just over a year ago comes as he faces domestic troubles at home, with his poll approval ratings often below 40 percent. Biden’s full-throated support of the U.S.-Japan alliance, and his praise for Japan’s ambitious plans to dramatically boost its defense spending, helped boost the prime minister’s global profile.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when we were closer,” Biden said of the two nations ahead of a bilateral meeting with Kishida on Friday. “To be crystal clear, the United States is fully, thoroughly, completely committed to the alliance.”
For Biden, the visit was a chance for the president to showcase his statesmanlike abilities amid his own political troubles after classified documents were discovered at his Washington, D.C., think tank and his private residence in Wilmington. Those discoveries prompted Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel on Thursday.
The two leaders affirmed their partnership at a time when both countries are seeking to counter China, Russia and North Korea. Japan, which occupies the presidency of the Group of Seven industrial democracies this year, has taken significant steps to hold Moscow accountable for its invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first country in Asia to join Western democracies in sanctioning Moscow.
