Kishida, Biden to boost alliance amid war in Ukraine, assertive China

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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden are set to meet Monday in Tokyo, where they are expected to underscore a robust Japan-U.S. alliance in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s growing assertiveness and North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

In their first in-person, sit-down meeting, the two leaders are likely to agree to pressure Moscow to stop its aggression in Ukraine and join hands in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision widely seen as a counter to China’s increasing clout in the region.

Combined photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden (R, Getty) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Kyodo)

Kishida and Biden, who is paying his first visit to Japan as U.S. president, are also likely to showcase their commitment to ensuring stability in the Taiwan Strait, where China has been stepping up military pressure on Taiwan.

Beijing sees the democratic island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Kishida has been affirming with his counterparts that they oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force, regardless of the location, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened concerns that a similar situation could arise in East Asia.

Japan deems “no matter how many times we affirm it, we can’t affirm too much” our opposition, a government official said.

Biden shares the view and also seeks to send a message that “the United States is here for our allies and partners,” according to a senior administration official.

“We are here to help provide deterrence and defense for the ROK and Japan, we will respond to any threats and any aggression decisively,” the official told reporters, referring to North Korea’s nuclear and missile developments and other regional security challenges.

ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.

North Korea has carried out a slew of missile tests this year, and speculation is rife that it has completed preparations for another nuclear test.

Biden and South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed in a summit Saturday in Seoul that trilateral cooperation, also involving Japan, is crucial in responding to the North Korean threat.

Later Monday, Biden is scheduled to announce the launch of the Indo-Pacific economic framework as a key vehicle for U.S. engagement in a region expected to drive global growth for years to come.

President Joe Biden arrives at the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo by Air Force One on May 22, 2022. (Kyodo)

While Japan maintains it would be desirable for the United States to return to a major Pacific free-trade deal originally known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Tokyo welcomes the new U.S. initiative as a reflection of its commitment to the region.

The two allies will also align in continuing sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine while agreeing on close communication among the Group of Seven industrialized nations to better respond to rising energy and food prices brought about by the war.

The seven leading democracies have implemented various punitive measures, including freezing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country’s central bank, along with excluding some major Russian lenders from a key international payment network known as SWIFT.

The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, have also stated their commitment to phasing out their dependency on Russian oil in their latest attempt to put more pressure on Moscow, which launched its military campaign against Ukraine on Feb. 24.

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