Washington.- President Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan met Friday to discuss how to transform Japan into a military power as both nations face growing challenges from China and work to strengthen the alliance between the two nations as the lynchpin to strengthen their security. in Asia.
“We are modernizing our military alliance, taking advantage of Japan’s historic increase in defense spending and the new national security strategy,” Biden said as the two leaders sat in the Oval Office of the White House in front of a fireplace with a fire. roaring. “Let me be very clear: The United States is fully, completely, and completely committed to the alliance.”
Kishida is making his first trip to Washington since his election in October 2021, and a month after his administration announced plans to strengthen its military capabilities and significantly increase military spending in the face of China’s growing power and repeated missile tests by China. part of North Korea.
Japan was enraged by China’s missile launch around Taiwan in August, five of which landed in waters near Japan, the first time this had happened. And Japan is increasingly eager for more Chinese military maritime activity in the East China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands, which is disputed territory between the two governments.
Kishida said his administration had decided to take major steps aimed at “fundamentally strengthening our defense capabilities,” including increasing military spending and increasing the nation’s missile strike capabilities.
“I think this will also be beneficial to the alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities,” he said.
Biden greeted Kishida on the South Lawn of the White House before noon, shortly after Kishida finished breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris at her residence at the US Naval Observatory.
