indian pm visit to japan

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Decoding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Historic Visit to Japan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan from May 19 to 21, 2023, to attend G7 and QUAD meetings. This year, G7 had three topics including tackling Russia’s aggression, how to deter China’s provocation, and getting support from the Global South. PM Modi’s visit was historical as he touched upon all of these three issues.

Firstly, his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a crucial and impactful one. Japan always believes that India is a very important partner amid the rising threat emanating from China. Thus, Japan was a pioneer of QUAD and the Indo-Pacific to cooperate with India. However, in the case of Russia, Japan’s viewpoint is completely different. India is neutral to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. A number of Japanese experts believe that it is because India was an “ally” of Russia that the Modi Government had to take the decision to be neutral in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. As Japan stands with Ukraine, India is on a different side of the war.

In 2022, PM Modi took a proper response to change the image. When PM Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022, Modi told him: “This is not the era for war.” Due to this stand by India, many G7 countries realised that India was not on the Russian side.

However, this year, India took charge of the presidency of G20. The role of the presidency demands India to show its neutrality to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine again. When Indonesia took charge of the presidency in 2022, President of Indonesia Joko Widodo visited both Moscow and Kyiv and invited both leaders to the G20. Will India invite both Russia and Ukraine leaders to the G20 summit in September 2023? There is a huge topic in Japan.

Therefore, PM Modi’s decision to meet Zelensky was a perfect timing to reemphasise India’s stance of neutrality. Such PM Modi’s diplomatic sense has further enhanced diplomatic relations between India and Japan.

Secondly, PM Modi shows India’s leading role in the Indo-Pacific. In G7 (US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan), the US and Canada are tilting toward European issues more than the Indo-Pacific issues. But, when Japan took chairman of G7, it has been talking about the Indo-Pacific issues more. Japan invited many Indo-Pacific countries including, India, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, and Cock islands as guest countries. In this case, PM Modi’s presence was decisive. The then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe had introduced the idea of the Indo-Pacific instead of the Asia-Pacific because he wanted to cooperate with India. India joined three sessions of G7, such as “Working Together to Address Multiple Crises,” “Common Endeavour for a Resilient and Sustainable Planet“ and “Toward a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous World.” This means that opinion of India and other Indo-Pacific countries reflected the discussion of global issues of G7.

In addition, during his visit, PM Modi held many bilateral summits including India-Japan meeting. And QUAD summit also happened this time. Within two and a half years, it is the fifth QUAD summit. The joint statement said “Respect for the leadership of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), is and will remain at the Centre of the Quad’s efforts.” This means that it is the first time, IORA is written. PM Modi’s visit shows the presence of the Indian Ocean Region.

This year, QUAD focused on the security of the undersea cable network, too. The joint statement said “We recognise the urgent need to support quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, which are key to global growth and prosperity” and announce a new ‘Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.’ This issue is a serious issue because many cables in this Region run under the South China Sea. If Chinese submarine attacks cables, our internet communication and system rely on internet could be cut off by China. QUAD starts to deal with the threat. These QUAD agreements were important step for PM Modi’s immediate visits to the South Pacific and Australia after QUAD.

Thirdly, India’s participation helps Global South countries. The view from Japan is that, persuading Global South is a main part as to how to impart tough competition to China. But since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine started, many countries realised how important Global South was. And India is leading Global South country now. For example, in June, 2023, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said “Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are world’s problems but world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.” This word has represented the voice of the Global South. To stop Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, western countries have imposed sanctions against Russia and prohibited Russia from exporting food and energy. Because it happened just after the COVID-19 crisis, the prices of food and energy had risen, and poor countries cannot buy enough. That is why Global South countries need the voice of Jaishankar. This time, Japan arranged “Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security” at the G7. India’s voice to help other Global South countries reached Japan and G7 to solve these issues.

Therefore, PM Modi strengthens India’s position by meeting Zelensky. PM Modi’s trip brought the interests and presence of the Indo-Pacific to European-oriented G7. India’s voice brought the voice of the Global South. All these things are achievements of PM Modi’s trip to Japan. India is rising. No one can ignore India. At the same time, the world demands India to show responsible leadership now. PM Modi’s trip to Japan this time was the first successful step for India to become a leading power in the world.

Read in the  Organiser.

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Japan PM Kishida announces new Indo-Pacific plan in India

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, talk before their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shake hands after making press statements following their meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, applaud after making press statements following their meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida before their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, second right and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, talk as they walk to their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pose for the media before their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to receive his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida before their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida arrive for their meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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NEW DELHI (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the Group of Seven summit in May and announced action plans for a new Indo-Pacific initiative aimed at countering China’s influence in the region.

Kishida, who is on a two-day trip to India, said he hopes to promote a vision of free and open Indo-Pacific, a Tokyo-led initiative for greater security and economic cooperation that is geared toward curbing Beijing’s growing assertiveness. It includes Japan’s assistance to emerging economies, support for maritime security, a provision of coast guard patrol boats and equipment and other infrastructure cooperation.

It fits with Japan’s new national security strategy adopted in December under which Tokyo Japan is deploying long-range cruise missiles to strengthen its strike-back capability, and using development aid more strategically in support of like-minded countries.

India, which is heading this year’s Group of 20 industrial and emerging-market nations, says ties with Japan are key to stability in the region. The two nations, along with the United States and Australia, make up the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad.

China’s territorial claims in the East China and South China seas have rattled Beijing’s smaller neighbors in Southeast Asia as well as Japan, which is also facing threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. The relationship between New Delhi and Beijing also has deteriorated since 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops clashed along their undefined border in the Himalayan Ladakh region, leaving 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.

Kishida also held talks with Modi to deepen bilateral cooperation while also addressing food security and development financing. The two leaders said they will closely cooperate in dealing with a wide range of global challenges, including soaring prices of energy and food supplies that have exacerbated since Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Kishida said Modi accepted his invitation to participate in the G-7 summit of major industrial nations, which will be held in Hiroshima in May. He told reporters later that he will also invite seven other heads of non-G-7 countries, including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol — a step toward further improving Japan-South Korea ties and to bring Seoul closer to other key players in the strategic map of the region.

In his statement, Kishida said he told Modi that he hopes to take up challenges at the summit including upholding the rules-based international order and strengthening partnership with the international community that goes beyond G-7 and includes the Global South, a term used for developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The two leaders also discussed their priorities for their respective presidencies of the G-7 and G-20, Modi said in a speech.

Japan holds the G-7 presidency in 2023 and has sought deeper ties with developing countries to lay the groundwork for a successful summit.

In an article for the Indian Express newspaper Monday, Kishida said “the foundation of order in the international community was shaken by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” and its impact on food access and fertilizer prices were felt everywhere, including in the Indo-Pacific region.

“In order to respond effectively to the various challenges that the international community is currently facing, cooperation between the G-7 and the G-20 has greater significance. Such pressing challenges include food security, climate and energy, fair and transparent development finance,” Kishida wrote.

India and Japan share strong economic ties. Trade between the two was worth $20.57 billion in fiscal year 2021-2022.

The Japanese investments in India touched $32 billion between 2000 and 2019. Japan has also been supporting infrastructure development in India, including a high-speed rail project.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

40 Hours, 23 Engagements: PM Modi's Visit To Japan For Quad Meet

Prime minister narendra modi will join us president joe biden and prime ministers of australia and japan at the quad summit in tokyo on may 24..

PM Modi will spend one night in Tokyo and two nights in the plane travelling. (File)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have 23 engagements, including meetings with three world leaders, in around 40 hours of stay in Japan where he will join US President Joe Biden and prime ministers of Australia and Japan at the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24, official sources said.

They said PM Modi during his visit will have business, diplomatic and community interactions.  He will interact with at least 36 Japanese CEOs and also with hundreds of Indian diaspora members.  

The prime minister will spend one night in Tokyo and two nights in the plane travelling, the sources said.  

PM Modi will have bilateral talks with Biden and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during the summit which is taking place amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart.

While announcing the prime minister's participation in the summit, the External Affairs Ministry had said, "At the invitation of Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the third Quad Leaders' Summit in Tokyo on 24 May 2022 along with President Joseph R Biden Jr. of the US and the Prime Minister of Australia."

The forthcoming Quad summit provides an opportunity for the leaders to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global issues of mutual interest, the MEA had said.  

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"The leaders will review the progress of Quad initiatives and working groups, identify new areas of cooperation and provide strategic guidance and vision for future collaboration," it added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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PM Modi thanks Japan’s Kishida for G7 invite as first leg of 3-nation tour ends

Pm modi, in a tweet, expressed his gratitude to pm kishida and the people of japan for their warm welcome and hospitality during his stay..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a successful visit to Japan Sunday, where he attended the summit of the G7 advanced economies on an invitation by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida . PM Modi, in a tweet, expressed his gratitude to PM Kishida and the people of Japan for their warm welcome and hospitality during his stay. He also informed that he would be leaving for Papua New Guinea shortly.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote, “It has been a fruitful visit to Japan. Met several world leaders during the G-7 Summit and discussed a variety of issues with them. Gratitude to PM @kishida230, the Government and people of Japan for their warmth. Leaving for Papua New Guinea in a short while.”

Also Read: Quad leaders pledge to uphold peace and stability in Indo-Pacific region

Also read| ‘democratise technology, build inclusive food system’: pm modi at g7 summit.

The G7 summit was held in Japan’s Hiroshima, where PM Modi met several world leaders, including the United States president Joe Biden, UK PM Rishi Sunak, war-ravaged nation Ukraine’s head Volodymyr Zelensky , among others. On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, he also participated in the Quad summit, joined by other member nations US, Australia and Japan.

Also Read| G7 Summit: Modi holds talks with Zelenskyy, assures solution to Ukraine war

PM Modi hailed the Quad coalition and highlighted its importance in ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. In Hiroshima, he also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a symbol of Indian values of non-violence. During his visit, he interacted with the Indian diaspora in the island nation and met with a prominent Japanese artisan and a linguist, who promote Indian culture through their work.

Also Read| PM Modi’s participation in G7 Summit to boost synergy with G20: Japan envoy

The group of seven (G7) represent the world's richest democracies. It comprises of the US, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan. Under its G7 presidency, Japan invited India and seven other countries to the summit.

On his three nation tour over a span of six days, PM Modi’s next destination is Papua New Guinea, where he will host the third summit of the ‘Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation’ (FIPIC) on Monday jointly with the island country's PM James Marape.

On the final leg of his trip, PM Modi will set out for Australia, where the Quad meet was initially supposed to happen but was slashed after Biden cancelled his trip due to the stalled domestic debt ceiling negotiations. PM Modi will anyway proceed with the trip to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Anthony Albanese.

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G7 meet: Modi visit to Hiroshima first by Indian PM after Pokhran n-tests

According to the Japanese foreign ministry, the priority agendas under its G7 presidency include Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Indo-Pacific, economic resilience and economic security among others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed to Hiroshima for the G7 leaders’ summit this Friday — the first visit to the Japanese city by an Indian Prime Minister since India conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1974.

The last Indian PM to visit Hiroshima, which suffered the atomic bomb attack in 1945, was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957. Modi, who reaches Hiroshima on May 19, will attend the G7 summit on May 20-21.

Modi’s presence at Hiroshima is significant since India is one of the few countries which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He will join the G7 leaders when they visit the Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to the victims and survivors of the attack.

From Japan’s perspective, it is an important moment since Japanese PM Fumio Kishida hails from Hiroshima, and his constituency is located in central Hiroshima city.

Sources said the Indian side is cognizant of the sensitivities of the people of Japan, and Hiroshima in particular, with regard to India’s nuclear tests and Delhi not being a signatory to the NPT.

As Tokyo is likely to arrange a meeting of the G7 leaders and other invitees with families of the atomic bomb victims, Delhi is preparing to underline that it views the NPT as discriminatory, its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, its commitment to unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests and no first-use policy when it comes to nuclear weapons.

India will also project its track record as a responsible nuclear power – even recently, it has expressed concern at the nuclear war rhetoric by Russian leaders in the context of the war in Ukraine .

Kishida, who represents a constituency in Hiroshima, is hoping to use the summit to pitch his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, amid concern that Russia could use such weapons in its ongoing war in Ukraine.

While Modi has attended three G7 summits in the past – twice in-person, in Biarritz, France (2019) and Elmau, Germany (2022), and once virtually (Cornwall, UK-2021) — sources said this summit in Hiroshima is expected to be challenging, given the nuclear sensitivities on the Japanese side.

Besides India, which holds the G20 presidency, the G7 grouping – Japan, Italy, Canada, France, US, UK and Germany — has invited the EU, Australia, Brazil, Comoros (African Union chair), the Cook Islands (Pacific Islands Forum chair), Indonesia ( ASEAN chair), South Korea and Vietnam as invitees to the outreach session. The UN, IMF, World Bank, WHO and WTO will also attend the summit.

Officials said India’s effort will be to garner support from the G7 grouping for the priorities under its G20 presidency. In fact, the leaders of 12 countries of the G20 grouping will attend the G7 summit, and Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with some of them, besides addressing the G7 outreach session.

By inviting India, sources said, the Japanese side has portrayed India as being a representative of the Global South – the vast community of about 120 developing and under-developed countries. “So this is part of strengthening outreach to the Global South, by demonstrating G7’s contributions to the issues of their concern,” a Japanese official told The Indian Express .

The Japanese side also wants to use the Hiroshima summit to demonstrate G7’s determination to uphold the international order based on the rule of law, firmly rejecting any unilateral attempt to change status quo by force or the threat to use nuclear weapons, as Russia has done, or the use of nuclear weapons.

“The international community is now at a historic turning point, having experienced the Covid-19 pandemic and being faced with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which has shaken the very foundation of the international order,” the Japanese agenda note said, adding that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a challenge to the rules-based international order, and the G7 has responded in a united manner. “The G7 will continue to strongly promote sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine,” it said.

On nuclear disarmament, the Japanese side feels the G7 will deepen discussions to send a strong message that it will advance realistic and practical efforts to take the world from “the reality” of the harsh security environment to an “ideal” one without nuclear weapons.

On the Indo-Pacific, the Japanese side says the G7 will reaffirm and strengthen cooperation on a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. And, on economic resilience and economic security, “the G7 will work on issues such as resilient supply chains, non-market policies and practices, and economic coercion,” the Japanese note says.

After Japan, Modi will travel to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where he will co-host the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation with Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, on May 22.

Launched in 2014, FIPIC includes India and 14 Pacific Island Countries — Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Palau, Nauru and Solomon Islands. This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Papua New Guinea.

Thereafter, Modi will be in Sydney on May 22-24 for the Quad Leaders’ Summit, along with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and Japan PM Kishida. He will have a bilateral meeting with Albanese on May 24, interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders, and address the Indian diaspora in Sydney on May 23.

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Press Statement by PM during the visit of the PM of Japan to India

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Kishida,

Distinguished delegates,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Kishida on his first visit to India as Prime Minister of Japan.

On behalf of the whole of India, I convey my condolences for the loss of life and property due to the earthquake in Japan a few days ago.

Prime Minister Kishida has been an old friend of India. He had visited India several times as Foreign Minister, and I had the opportunity to exchange views with him. Prime Minister Kishida has played a key role in the unprecedented progress that has been seen in the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership over the last few years.

Today’s summit has been organized at a very important time. The world is still grappling with Covid-19 and its effects.

The process of global economic recovery is still being hampered.

Geo-political events are also presenting new challenges.

In this context, further deepening of the India-Japan partnership is not only important for both the countries. This will also promote peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and at the entire world level.

Our mutual trust, our shared values such as our civilizational ties, democracy, freedom, and rule of law, are at the core of our relations, giving them strength.

Our discussions today have paved the way for taking our mutual cooperation to new heights.

We exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues besides bilateral issues.

We also decided to increase our coordination at the United Nations and other international fora.

The India-Japan Economic Partnership has made unprecedented progress over the last several years. There is tremendous trust, enthusiasm in the businesses of both countries. Japan is one of the largest investors in India, a world class partner.

We are very grateful for this contribution.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project is progressing well. Both the countries are working on this with the approach of ‘One Team One Project’. This project is a great example of India-Japan partnership.

I am happy that we have exceeded the investment target of three point five trillion Japanese yen set in 2014.

Now we have decided to take our ambitions to new heights and have set a new target of five trillion yen, which means about three lakh twenty thousand crore rupees in the coming five years.

You all know that in the last few years, India has adopted comprehensive economic reforms and has taken a big leap in ease of doing business.

Today India presents limitless possibilities for “Make in India for the world”.

In this context, Japanese companies have been our brand ambassadors for a long time.

New dimensions are being added to the partnership between us in technology and innovation sectors.

We are committed to provide a conducive environment for Japanese companies in India.

The India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership Roadmap launched today will prove to be an effective mechanism for this.

Our skills partnership with Japan will also play an effective role in this direction.

Both India and Japan understand the importance of secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply.

It is very essential for achieving the goal of sustainable economic growth and to tackle the problem of climate change.

Our Clean Energy Partnership will prove to be a decisive step in this direction.

Today we have agreed on many other important points and announcements have been made.

This visit of Prime Minister Kishida has been successful in adding new dimensions to the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership.

Once again, I extend a very warm welcome to Prime Minister Kishida and his delegation to India.

Addressing the joint press meet with PM @kishida230 . https://t.co/FJWELr32MZ — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 19, 2022

विश्व अभी भी Covid-19 और उसके दुष्प्रभावों से जूझ रहा है। वैश्विक Economic recovery की प्रक्रिया में अभी भी अडचनें आ रही हैं। Geo-political घटनाएँ भी नयी चुनौतियाँ प्रस्तुत कर रही हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

इस सन्दर्भ में भारत-जापान partnership को और गहन करना सिर्फ दोनों देशों के लिए ही महत्वपूर्ण नहीं है। इससे Indo-Pacific क्षेत्र और पूरे विश्व के स्तर पर भी peace, prosperity और stability को प्रोत्साहन मिलेगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

Dedicated Freight Corridor और Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail जैसे हमारे flagship projects में जापान का सहयोग उल्लेखनीय रहा है। हम इस योगदान के लिए आभारी हैं। Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail प्रोजेक्ट में अच्छी प्रगति हो रही है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

आज भारत “Make in India for the world” के लिए असीम संभावनाएं प्रस्तुत करता है। इस संदर्भ में Japanese companies बहुत समय से एक प्रकार से हमारी brand ambassadors रही हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

भारत और जापान, दोनों ही secure, trusted, predictable और stable energy supply के महत्व को समझते हैं। यह sustainable economic growth के लक्ष्य को पाने और climate change की समस्या से निपटने के लिए अनिवार्य है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

हमारी Clean Energy Partnership इस दिशा में लिया गया एक निर्णायक कदम साबित होगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 19, 2022

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What to Know About Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Visit to Japan

I ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Friday, commencing a three-day bilateral meeting in Japan, to discuss developing the two countries’ economic and strategic relationship.

“Japan may be on its way to becoming one of India’s most important strategic partners, some years from now,” Sanjib Baruah, an honorary research professor at India’s Center for Policy Research think-tank and professor at Bard College, tells TIME. “[But] China is the elephant in the room.”

Traditional alliances in the region are shifting, as Russia — one of India’s biggest arms suppliers — seeks stronger relationships with Pakistan and China. As the country looks to phase out its phase out its fleet of Soviet-era aircrafts , India has increasingly looked to Washington, and American defense companies for military equipment.

The meeting with Japan is indicative of a continuing pivot for India as the two countries discuss deals ranging from a highly coveted civil nuclear cooperation pact to a defense trade agreement worth more than a billion dollars.

“There is always some nervousness in Indian policy circles that the U.S. may be insufficiently appreciative of India’s desire for strategic autonomy. But with Japan there is no such baggage,” says Baruah. “In the long run I can see Japan occupying the kind of place that Russia once did in Indian foreign and defense policy.”

Here’s what you need to know about Modi’s visit to Japan.

1. Pomp and circumstance

Modi’s visit was preceded by much fanfare as 32 members of India’s military band will participate in Japan’s Self Defense Forces 2016 Marching Festival for the first time, celebrating the two countries’ efforts to developing closer strategic ties. According to The Hindustan Times , the festival , which was held in Tokyo this year, is a tradition going back more than half a century and draws audiences of more than 50,000 people. Although India’s marching band has been in Tokyo since earlier this week, the actual festival will take place from Nov. 11 to 13, during Modi’s visit. While the march is a largely symbolic overture, it sets the tone for a meeting highly anticipated in bringing the two countries together both economically, as well as strategically.

2. Search and rescue planes

The meeting will also finalize one of the first military sale’s Japan has made since lifting a 50-year-old export ban on arms sales two years ago. According to Reuters, India will buy 12 rescue water-planes from Japan, worth an estimated $1.6 billion. The deal will be included in the memorandum of understanding signed by Prime Minister Abe and Modi during the summit.

3. Civil nuclear cooperation-pact

Modi and Abe will also conclude a much anticipated civil nuclear-cooperation pact, which would allow Japan to sell nuclear technology to India. According to the Japan Times , the pact will benefit Japanese nuclear-component manufacturers who suffered setbacks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The deal may also mark the first time Japan has sold nuclear technology to a country that has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Negotiations began in 2010, before either Prime Minister was elected, and the two leaders reached a memorandum of understanding in December of last year, during Abe’s visit to India. Abe’s Vice-Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama traveled to India last month to put finishing touches on the deal.

4. Focus on Regional Security

Despite the promises of the meeting, some experts see the recent U.S. election as a monkey-wrench in terms of projected gains from the bilateral talks — as much of the long term success of the meeting will hinge on U.S. influence in the region. There is also uncertainty as to how the new U.S. administration, under President-elect Donald Trump, will respond to its alliances around the world, especially in Asia.

“With the election of Trump, the containment strategy towards China embraced by the U.S. and Japan looks uncertain at best,” Jeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies in Japan’s Temple University tells TIME.

Although, there has been little indication of Trump’s policies, some fear his “America First” policy speech last April, raised serious questions as to America’s future global commitment in Asia.

“The Trump factor reinforces the perception that the U.S. is a declining power in Asia, and leaders will act accordingly,” says Kingston.

Among Japan’s largest concerns is China’s increasing military presence in the South China Sea. As an island nation, with very few natural resources, the disputed waterway is Japan’s cheapest trade corridor. For this reason, China’s militarization of the sea is of great concern to Japan and one of the areas in which it seeks stronger rhetoric from India.

While India issued a j oint statement with the U.S. in January, “[calling] on all parties to avoid the threat or use of force and pursue resolution of territorial and maritime disputes through all peaceful means,” the country has not risked adopting stronger rhetoric against China’s actions in the contested waters.

Ahead of Modi’s meeting with Abe, China’s state-run Global Times , warned India of “great losses” should New Delhi decide to call on Beijing to respect the Hague tribunal’s arbitration ruling rebuking China’s behavior in the South China Sea. Since then, the Times of India reported, Beijing’s foreign ministry has called on New Delhi to “respect [the] legitimate concerns” of India’s northern neighbor during the Indian prime minister’s meeting with Abe.

Although India would like to check the growing influence of China in the region, “China has significant capacity to cause trouble for India in its immediate neighborhood,” says research professor Baruah. For now, it isn’t in India’s best interest to antagonize the Asian giant — especially when there is still much trepidation as to Trump’s policies and influence in the region.

“Everyone is on ‘wait and see’ mode to gauge how Trump will act, because on the campaign trail he was a loose cannon,” says Kingston.

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S jaishankar's japan visit explores ways to transform special strategic and global partnership.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded his visit to Japan, exploring ways to transform the Special Strategic and Global Partnership. He held meetings with Fumio Kishida, Yoko Kamikawa, Taro Aso, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshihide Suga, and interacted with Akie Abe. He also attended the Raisina Roundtable and addressed the Nikkei Forum.

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Visit to India

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• Japan-India Summit Meeting (Summary)
• Japan-India Leaders’ Working Lunch (Summary)
• Policy Speech by the Prime Minister
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Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in India on 2-day visit; here's what's on agenda

Since the last Summit meeting held in March 2022 between India and Japan, now is a significant time to engage on a bilateral level as both New Delhi and Tokyo are holding the Presidencies of the G20 and G7, respectively.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to arrive in India for a two-day trip on today i.e. on 20 March. The leader's visit to the national capital is seen as a great opportunity to review the bilateral ties between the two countries.

Kishida has said that a new plan on Free and Open Indo-Pacific will be annouced during his two-day visit to India and will present concrete ideas about the future of it at "this historical turning point."

As per the official Twitter handle of the Japan PMO, “This year, Japan holds the G7 presidency while India chairs the G20. Prime Minister Modi and I will exchange views on the role our two countries should play as we work to resolve mounting international challenges."

The Prime minister's office also added, "I also intend to further strengthen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan. In addition, during my stay in India, I will announce a new plan related to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). I will set out in concrete terms my thinking regarding how the future should look for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which is at a historic turning point."

Earlier on 10 March, he had said, “As leaders of the G-7 and G-20, I want us to communicate closely in an effort to strengthen cooperation." 

The partnership between both countries ranges in multiple areas like defence and security, trade and investment, S&T, Education, healthcare, and critical and emerging technologies.

During Kishida's visit to India, converging interests on important global challenges, such as food and health security, energy transitions, and economic stability, can be worked on by the two nations.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Japan is a "very important partner", and he stressed that India looks forward to the exchange of views.

"We look forward to the visit of the honourable Prime Minister of Japan that's on Monday. As you know, Japan is our very important partner. We have annual summits with them and this is part of that. They are also partners in plurilateral and multilateral constructs so we look forward to a rich discussion. We look forward to the exchange of views," the MEA spokesperson had said.

"Prime Minister had gone to Japan last year. Prime Minister Kishida had come here so we look forward to taking forward those discussions but what will be the talking points, what will be the outcomes let the leaders talk about it. I think it's pretty far too soon to judge that," Arindam Bagchi said.

However, he did not reveal details regarding the talking points of the discussion that will take place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will visit India from March 20-21. During the visit, he will hold a meeting with PM Narendra Modi. The two leaders will discuss bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release on March 10.

India and Japan share 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'. India-Japan relations were elevated to 'Global Partnership' in 2000, 'Strategic and Global Partnership' in 2006, and 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' in 2014.

Regular Annual Summits have been held between India and Japan since 2006 (the last Annual Summit was held in March 2022 in New Delhi).

Japan is a very close partner with which we have both an Annual Summit and a 2 2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting. with which India has an Annual Summit and a 2 2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.

New Delhi and Tokyo are also a part of the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (QUAD), alongside Australia and the US. It is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States that is maintained by talks between member countries. The Quad is dedicated to working with regional allies who support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Furthermore, the Defense cooperation between the two nations has also emerged as one of the key areas of engagement.

The successful conduct of the first fighter jet exercise "Veer Guardian" in January 2023 in Japan between our two countries was a significant milestone. This was followed closely by the 4th "Dharma Guardian" army exercise, which was conducted for the first time in Japan.

Maritime security cooperation including Navy-to-Navy cooperation has seen significant progress with a large number of exercises being conducted. In November last year, India took part in the International Fleet Review in Japan and the Malabar exercise off the Coast of Japan. This was preceded by the JIMEX between our two navies in September.

In terms of commercial and economic ties, the bilateral trade between India and Japan stood at USD 20.75 billion last year, which was the largest ever.

Japan is also the 5th largest investor in India as a large number of Japanese companies are exploring opportunities in India in several sectors.

Moreover, India and Japan have an Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) under which both countries are cooperating to promote industrial cooperation between the two countries.

A Roadmap under IJICP (India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership) was launched at the Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March 2022.

The meeting of the IJICP took place in Tokyo on 28 February 2023. The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary, of DPIIT from the Indian side and the Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry from the Japanese side.

Japan and India launched a Clean Energy Partnership during the Annual Summit held last year. It aims to promote energy cooperation between Japan and India through diverse and realistic energy transitions utilizing all energy sources and technologies to ensure energy security, carbon neutrality and economic growth.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Background Press Call Previewing the Official Visit of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of   Japan

National Security Council

Via Teleconference

(April 9, 2024)

5:40 P.M. EDT

MODERATOR: Thank you. And hi, everyone. Thank you again for joining today’s background call to preview the official visit of Prime Minister Kishida of Japan.

Today’s call is on background. Speakers on today’s call will be attributed as senior administration officials.

On today’s call we have [senior administration official], [senior administration official], and [senior administration official]. Again, today’s call is on background, attributed to senior administration officials. And the call will be held under embargo until tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

By participating in today’s call, you are agreeing to these ground rules.

I will now turn the call over to [senior administration official].

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. And thank you all very much for joining us today. It’s really a pleasure and honor to be with you all.

Let me, if I can, first place this visit in a larger context. I think it is undeniable that at the conclusion of this visit we will judge it to be a remarkable and historic summit. And it’s long in the making. We’ve been working on this kind of summit and state visit, frankly, for years. Our two leaders have met over a dozen times in a number of capacities. Prime Minister Kishida graciously hosted President Biden for an official visit as part of the G7 engagements in Hiroshima. And they’ve met on a number of occasions, engaging on the most critical issues before us.

I will say that what we’ve seen specifically is what was largely a regional alliance, and important alliance undeniably, but now a global partnership that I think could be judged as if not our most important global alliance, then among the most important. And I think that reality will be on full display over the course of the next few days.

I do want to just take a moment, if I may, just to commend. These summits are enormously challenging endeavors. Lots of spinning plates and engagements with huge stakes at every turn. And I just want to commend the two people that I’m on the call with today. [Senior administration official] has been the spearhead of this effort, driving forward on what we call deliverables. And I would just underscore that that list is over 70; it’s not uncommon to occasionally have a dozen, maybe 20, at the outside. This is probably the largest set of substantial, significant deliverables that we’ve seen of its kind. And [senior administration official] and her team have helped drive that forward.

I will also say my friend and colleague [senior administration official] has basically set a new standard for what it means to be an activist, determined, a passionate advocate for a relationship between two countries. And what he’s done in the U.S.-Japan context is no short of remarkable.

Now, I will say Prime Minister Kishida arrived with his team, members of governments from the Diet and the business community, yesterday. It’s an appropriate time of year as we celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival starting this weekend.

We will have a number of engagements. [Senior administration officials] will run through them. But I think what you will see is a huge number of deliverables in the security arena, but I do want to underscore that the progress and future-oriented stance of our alliance that is on display in Haiti, in the Ukraine, in Southeast Asia, in the Pacific — everywhere that American purpose is being put to the test, Japan is by our side. You will see that clearly animated in our deliverables.

We are working to build stronger bonds in technology, in joint investment running each way, programming that advances our joint interests in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, and clear initiatives with respect to people-to-people.

I think, in many respects, this relationship and what you will see is the fundamental validation of President Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to elevate the role of partners and allies in concert with us as we seek to keep an open, secure, and vital Indo-Pacific.

I do just want to underscore just a couple of things as we go forward. The initiatives are both sophisticated and down to earth.

I do want to just mention one particular thing. I think the two most important gifts that countries have given the United States over the course of our existence: one would be the Statue of Liberty, and the second might be the gift, 110 years ago from Japan, of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin.

This is a tribute to both [senior administration official] and others on the Japanese side. I think they noted a few weeks ago that, sadly, several hundred of those trees would have to be felled in order to do some work around the Tidal Basin. The Japanese immediately understood the significance of that; offered us to help provide saplings when the time is right to replace these felled trees, to signal their continuing friendship and partnership.

I think we’ll find that it’s initiatives like this that may not be as significant as apparently as new arrangements on military command structures or joint co-production on the military side, but they’re deeply significant to our peoples. And we are grateful. Prime Minister Kishida will have a planting ceremony tomorrow on the Mall to basically underscore his commitment to this.

I’d like to turn it over now to [senior administration official] to basically give us a blow by blow about how we arrived here, what he thinks are the big moving pieces that are significant, both in the Indo-Pacific and globally, as we take the U.S.-Japan relationship to the next level. Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, [senior administration official]. I want to emphasize and underscore something [senior administration official] said, because in the last 60 years, you would define this relationship between the United States and Japan, since it got formalized in 1960, as one of alliance protection. I think this state visit kind of ends that era and defines the next period of time, this alliance projection from alliance protection.

And in the last two years that allowed this transition to occur, the Prime Minister changed five to six major 70-year-old policies that have always been on the books. Japan has gone from a 1 percent cap on defense spending to 2 percent of GDP. And that was before there was even a tank on the Ukrainian border. And it’s going to become the third-largest military spender in the world.

They’ve acquired Tomahawk counter-strike capability, which will have a real effectiveness to the credibility of our collective deterrence.

Third, they’ve lifted the cap on defense technology export.

Fourth, with us they have raised the ROK-Japan-U.S. relationship, as experienced in Camp David, to a level of stability that shifted the strategic landscape in the Indo-Pacific as one of (inaudible) main pillars has been that the ROK, Japan, and the United States (inaudible), all three get on the same page.

Fifth is, the day that Russia invaded Ukraine, they ended their policy with Russia and decided to throw all their weight behind values and ideals of (inaudible) democratic democracies and understand that Russia had to be sanctioned because this cannot be permissible behavior, become a norm. The raw exercise of power was committed and accepted and became the new norm.

In that same time, I think then what has that committed for the United States? One is: For the first time ever, we’re going to change the force structure that we have in Japan so it actually can make the most of their new joint operations center that’s part of the defense budget and have a real capacity and capability to integrate our forces. Second is: Now with the cap on the defense export being lifted, we’re going to have a military industrial council that will evaluate where we can (inaudible) and co-produce defense weapons. And so, Japan’s industrial capacity and strength that had always been on the sidelines will come to bear on one of the weak points right now that we have, which is we don’t have really the bandwidth on the defense production capacity that we need for our strategic applications.

There will also be pieces as related to the integrated missile defense system with Australia, the United States, and Japan.

The second column, which is — in the last two years, we’ve signed five separate space agreements with Japan: Artemis, Gateway, Mars, International Space Station framework, and there’ll be a major agreement to the lunar exploration with Japan as a full partner, from expending major resources with their NASA equivalent, which is JAXA.

And then building on the people-to-people, two initiatives. There’ll be a joint AI research between Carnegie Mellon and Keio University, their major private university in Tokyo. That will be in the AI area, funded by both a series of Japanese companies and Microsoft. And then AI — a separate but a different part of AI — between the University of Washington in Washington State and Tsukuba University. And that’s going to be with Amazon and NVIDIA at $50 million.

And then a third kind of people-to-people, which is Norman Mineta scholarship, $12 million, to fund students in their junior year of high school to go live overseas and study — the United States students go to Japan, and Japan high school students come to the United States. The Norm Mineta scholarship.

But to me, each of these, in the end of the day, are — all the particulars add up to a major shift where Japan, which used to be, you know, only worried about the perimeters of their island, projecting not only into the region and the alliance and its value system, but being a full global partner on whatever happens in Europe, the Mideast, and also the Indo-Pacific.

And so, this state visit comes at a point that the relationship is shifting to a higher and different level, and having the building blocks and the deliverables that underscore each one of those pieces.

[Senior administration official]?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, [senior administration official].

[Senior administration officials] put out a lot on the table here, so I’ll just a saw a few words to wrap up our topper, and then I look forward to taking your questions.

There’s certainly a lot more we can dig into in our defense and security deliverables, where there’s some really (inaudible) advances taking place within the U.S.-Japan alliance, some of which are some of the most consequential moves we will have taken in decades.

But as [senior administration official] just indicated, what we’re really doing here is culminating three years of fast and furious work that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago and, frankly, unimaginable with a leader other than Fumio Kishida, but that has truly taken this alliance to the next level, modernized it, and now put us on a pathway to even bigger things.

And we’ll be taking our next logical steps tomorrow and also lighting the pathway for U.S.-Japan alliance managers for many years to come.

But a broader point that I think I’ll leave it with and conclude these opening remarks is the fact that the President’s visit with Prime Minister Kishida tomorrow, as well as the trilat that he’ll be holding with Prime Minister Kishida and President Marcos of the Philippines later this week, is both a really important and consequential set of meetings in and of themselves, but it’s also a proving ground for the President’s theory of case when it comes to his entire Indo-Pacific strategy.

When the President took office over three years ago, his theory of the case was that if the United States reinvested in its alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and built collective capacity as we put it in our Indo-Pacific strategy, along with others, that those allies and partners would step up alongside in ways that made us much better able, much better equipped to accomplish our objectives in this critical region.

And nowhere is this theory better proven out than in our alliance with Japan, where Prime Minister Kishida has stepped up and stepped out into the world more than anyone really ever could have imagined.

So that’s what you’ll see on display tomorrow. We have a lot to celebrate, and we’re excited for the pathway ahead. I’ll stop there.

MODERATOR: Great. Thank you all for opening remarks. Moderator, I think we are ready to move into the Q&A portion.

OPERATOR: Moving to our first caller. Michael Shear, your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Hey all. Thanks for doing the call. I appreciate it. Two quick questions.

One, can you describe what, if any, message President Trump [sic] is going to deliver to the Prime Minister about U.S. Steel and his concerns about a potential acquisition?

And two, to what extent are you all — do you all feel an urgency to cement, I think as [senior administration official] called it, this next level of relationship, given the coming election and the fears in — you know, sort of abroad in many places, but maybe in Japan too, about the possibility that President Trump could come back into office and all that could mean to the region and to the alliance?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So I’ll start maybe, and then let — I think you inadvertently said what would President Trump have to say. I think you probably meant —

Q Oh, sorry. President Biden. Sorry.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Probably inadvertently reveals your state of mind as well, though.

So, look, on the second part of that question, I can say this: Look, I think we all recognize that there is anxiety in capitals, uncertainty about what the nature of the future of U.S. policy will look like, whether we will remain as engaged in internationalist pursuits and the kinds of bipartisan foreign policy efforts which have animated the last period, both after the Second World War and after the Cold War. There are questions and concerns there.

I think what we believe, and the people on this call have been deeply engaged with this, is that by strengthening and validating the concept of load-bearing bilateral and multilateral relationships — countries that are prepared to lend a hand and work with us and, in some cases, leading efforts — we think that validates that philosophy and creates a kind of momentum of its own.

And so, I think it would be fair to say that, you know, there are a number of responses internationally. I think some countries have sought to lie low. Others recognize that the best approach is to double down and engage deeply with the United States. And we’re seeking to do that.

And I think the Japan experience and what we’ve seen with Prime Minister Kishida is a case study in recognizing that their best possible way forward is a deep, substantial, continuing engagement with the United States.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’ll pass to [senior administration official] actually on this one.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Mike, let me just deal with the second question, and then I’ll go to the first.

On the second question: Look, there is a tactic and a strategic objective by China, which is to isolate the Philippines, what they’re doing on the coast guard, or to isolate Japan, what they’re doing with the embargo on fish.

The idea of switching to a multilateral lattice-like strategic architecture is then to flip the script and isolate China. When you have, like we did this week, the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines doing an exercise together, when you have the trilat on Thursday, the country that’s isolated is China, not the Philippines.

And in every practice that we’re doing — the strategic, diplomatic, military exercises of doing it multinational is that the end result is that China’s attempt to intimidate one country, make an example of that country and intimidate the others in the neighborhood, flips the script and China is the isolated and the outlier in the neighborhood (inaudible). So that’s number one.

And number two is: You know, I’ve seen it upfront with now three presidents. Not only the trilateral on Thursday, but the one at Camp David with the ROK — if they have trust in America and then personal trust in President Biden, or (inaudible) president, other leaders are going to go past just clearing the bar. They’re going to stretch themselves, spend political capital because it means something and comes back to value.

So the real answer is: Some of this is standalone and will stand the test of time. Building on it requires somebody that’s invested in it. So there’s also risk that’s straight up, because people are putting resources — the Australians, South Korea — ROK, Japan, the Philippines — in the United States because they trust us, they want to work with us, and they know that we are the right kind of counterweight to an untethered China.

Then to the first question on Nippon Steel: Look, the relationship between the United States and Japan is far bigger and more significant than a single commercial deal.

Six weeks ago, the United States gave Mitsui, a Japanese company, a $20 billion deal to build a crane factory here in the United States and replace all our port cranes throughout the United States. Nothing says trusted ally like a $20 billion contract with a Japanese company.

And in 2021, outside companies or foreign companies were looking at Toshiba. Japan said, on national security interests, they didn’t want that to go forward.

So I guess would just basically understand — everybody understands where we are. Everybody understands the significance of not only this visit but also the relationship. And it’s larger than a single effort. And I say that as somebody who started his political career back in — national political career in 1992 working for Bill Clinton.

We’re in a different place fundamentally. And I just think that this single commercial transaction does not define not only the visit, but the relationship and its potential and what is actually delivering in the region or across the globe. And both leaders (inaudible).

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller in the queue.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And for the record, I was talking about President Biden, not President Trump.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller. Demetri Sevastopulo from Financial Times. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Thanks. I have two questions. The first is for [senior administration official]. The other day at CNAS, you said Japan had made some progress implementing information security systems improvements. How far do you think they are from getting to a place where the U.S. and the Five Eyes are kind of comfortable with their level of security?

And then, for any of you, what sort of the things that you’re doing right now with Japan, including restructuring the U.S. command in Japan, are complete? Do you think we’re at a point where Japan could actually fight alongside the U.S. if there was a contingency over Taiwan? Or is that still a long way away?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’ll start and then [senior administration officials] jump in.

So, look, I think it’s fair to say that our Japanese partners and allies have taken substantial steps on information security and procedures that protect the most sensitive of information potentially shared between United States and Japan.

As I indicated, there is still more work to do. I think we believe that there are legislative steps, as well as executive actions, that are possible.

You will see over the course of the next few days that we are stepping up our intelligence cooperation. This is an area that [senior administration official] has played a key role in, in particularly ensuring on key initiatives that the two countries are in sync and in close coordination on key information. And I think some of those steps have been deeply successful. And we’re seeking to build on those as we go forward.

I think what you will see over the course of the next couple of days are major steps on the security side, highlighting some cyber-related efforts and also our fundamental goal of being able to share the most important information with our closest ally, Japan.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, [senior administration official]. You know, the only thing I’ll had on the Taiwan bit is that the U.S. and Japan have carefully honed public (inaudible) on Taiwan that we worked through together a few years ago. And we expect you’ll see language that’s quite similar on this visit.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I got nothing to add.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller in queue. Ken Moriyasu from Nikkei Asia. Please go ahead. Your line is unmuted.

Q Hello, thank you very much. I think [senior administration official] said that Japan, until now, was only worried about the parameters of the island but now they will be a full global partner on whatever happens in Europe. This seems like a very drastic statement. What is your expectation of the engagement in places like Ukraine and Gaza? Will it be just political support, or do you expect some kind of security cooperation as well? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Ken, you’ve been following this, so it’s not a surprise. Day one they’ve been a full partner on the sanctions. There hasn’t been any equivocation there. They’ve called — their efforts as chair of the G7 has been, as it relates to Ukraine, been incredible in the sense they’re, step by step, measuring all the sanctions, as recently as including Arctic 2.

The second piece of that is there’s no greater contributor to the energy infrastructure that’s being targeted by Putin than Japan, with Mitsubishi and (inaudible) Kawasaki building the major transformers there. I think it’s close to six or — (inaudible) on the exact dollars, but I think it’s close to $6- or $7 billion.

They have used their position and assistance. They just re-upped funding as it relates to food relief in Gaza.

So they are a global partner. And what I meant, and I stand by, is the last period of time has all been just about the defense of Japan. They are stepping beyond that role into — and they did it in March 2022 when there was a U.N. resolution condemning Russia’s vote. They not only voted the correct way; they helped corral 8 out of the 10 ASEAN countries to all vote in favor of condemning Russia for the (inaudible), co-sponsors of the resolution. And that was Japan’s initiative. So, yeah, a global partner.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller. (Inaudible) with Kyoto News. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Hi, thank you for taking my question. I would like to ask for AUKUS pillar two, which is likely to be one of the topics at the meeting tomorrow. Is there any specific area in which Japan could bring significant contribution to enforce AUKUS pillar two? Is it AI hypersonic capability or other (inaudible)? Would you give us some explanation? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’m happy to take this one.

You know, we think that Japan stands to potentially bring a great deal to AUKUS pillar two. And as you’re tracking, we will be noting tomorrow that the AUKUS partners are excited to begin their consultations with Japan towards possible inclusion in pillar two.

But I do want to note, number one, that Japan is one of several additional partners that the AUKUS partners are closely considering partnering with under this pillar two (inaudible). And number two, that we expect the consultations will take a period of months, and it will take a portion of the 2024 calendar year before the AUKUS two pillar — the AUKUS pillar two vision is fully fleshed out, that is with us being able to assign specific partners to specific pillar two projects.

So there’s no doubt that Japan brings a great deal to the table. That’s why we are announcing that AUKUS partners want to begin consultations with Tokyo as soon as possible. But we have a way to go before we’re able to share some of the details that you just raised.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller. Jennifer Jacobs from Bloomberg News. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Hey, thanks. I heard your answer to the New York Times question about Nippon Steel. So you guys are saying that you do think that the topic of the steel deal will come up between the President and the Prime Minister?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No.

Q Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: (Inaudible) to predict, but no, we don’t, because I think that the relationship is much bigger, and I think that everybody understands everybody’s position. I was trying to give you reference points for both Mitsui and Toshiba as kind of — as to kind of appreciate where this is.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller. Ryo Kiyomiya from the Asahi Shimbun. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Thank you so much for this opportunity. My question is about the change of the (inaudible) in Japan. First, could you please clear us on expected timeline of deciding and establishing new U.S. force structure in Japan? And also, do expect a drastic change of posture in Japan, such as increasing the number of U.S. personnel of the U.S. (inaudible) or sending of (inaudible) to Japan?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’m happy to take this one as well.

We’ll be announcing tomorrow our commitment to modernizing our alliance partner posture, including our command and control, in Japan. But I do expect it will take a period of months for the details of those changes to be worked through.

Of course, we’re doing this in close partnership with the government of Japan, with the aim of making ourselves a very neat fit for the new joint operations command that Japanese friends are standing (inaudible). Secretary of Defense Austin and our new INDOPACOM commander will work through the details of what exactly that modernized approach is going to look like.

But tomorrow, not only will the leaders commit to this — undertaking this project together, a project which, as [senior administration official] highlighted, is in many ways one of the biggest changes to take place in the U.S.-Japan alliance since 1960, but they will direct our two-plus-two ministerial structure to take on the responsibility of executing these changes (inaudible).

So this is all to say: Stay tuned. It’ll take a period of months to work through. But we have not only a commitment but the structure to get these details hashed out very soon.

OPERATOR: Moving to the next caller. Prashant Jha from Hindustan Times. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Hi. My question is for [senior administration official]. One of the things that you said was this is a validation of the Indo-Pacific strategy of the President, where he assigns this role to partners, and partners step up. I was wondering how you’re thinking of India within the context of this deepening military, defense, security partnership with your treaty allies in East Asia. Do you see India as a part of this network? We know that, bilaterally, India’s relations have improved with the U.S. as well as with these countries. Do you see it as a part of a wider network as well? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: First of all, thank you very much for the question. I do — and I understand the way you asked it, but I think it’s important to just underscore: I don’t think this is about the United States assigning roles to countries. I think it is much more about working in partnership with likeminded and other states who share common views about what should be upheld on the global stage with respect to key features of the global operating system that I think we’ve all benefited from.

I think if you ask the President, one of the things that he’s proudest of is his efforts to build a stronger relationship between the United States and India. And I do believe, both in the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and on key issues like technology, the United States and India are working more closely together than ever before.

And I would simply say that I think the U.S.-India relationship is trending substantially in a positive direction and that our level of engagement across every possible vector — security, intelligence, technology, people-to-people — has excelled.

And I think the point that [senior administration official] made is not only have our relations with India improved in a bilateral context, but it is also the case that India’s partnership with other countries, working with us and then working just independently, has also stepped up substantially. I would say, in many respects, engagement with India is some of the most — the most desired kinds of engagements on the global stage, and we’ve seen this with a variety of key players.

I’ll be in India next week to celebrate elements of our bilateral relationship, compare notes on the Indo-Pacific, and also talk about next steps in technology cooperation. We think these are all effective, prudent elements of taking the U.S.-India relationship to the next level.

And, yes, I do believe, perhaps in the past, on both sides, there perhaps had been some ambivalence or some uncertainty. I see very little of that now. I see leaders on both sides who are all in on the promise and prospects of the other, recognize the potential of this relationship that is deeply supported by an activist diaspora community here, and technology and other firms who understand the potential of India.

And I would just simply say that I see the engagement with India as central to everything that we’re seeking to do on the global stage. And I would simply say that I think, in many respects, it will be our most important bilateral partnership heading into the latter parts of the 21st century.

So, thank you for that.

OPERATOR: Moving to our next caller. Sang-ho Song from Yonhap News Agency. Your line is unmuted. Please go ahead.

Q Thank you for doing this. I have a question for [senior administration official]. You talked about the transition from alliance protection to alliance projection. So can you elaborate further on what you actually meant by projection? Is it projection of power for global security?

And my second question is that: What kind of end state are you pursuing when it comes to the combined command structure? Are the United States and Japan pursuing these structures akin to the Combined Forces Command in South Korea between the U.S. Forces Korea and the (inaudible) military? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, let me say about alliance projection: A lot of times, as you just did, it’s always defined as — or kind of narrowed down to defense. I actually see — if one of the things we want is credible deterrence, we should widen the definition of what deterrence looks like.

And I think both the trilateral meeting with the Philippine president, the trilateral meeting and gathering that happened at Camp David, that’s about credible deterrence. As much as what Japan is doing individually and then in collaboration with us on a series of exercises, it’s about the credibility of deterrence. What they’re negotiating with the Philippines, the reciprocal agreement, that’s part of deterrence.

So the wider definition is, in my view, what matters here. And when I say about alliance projection in the region — when it’s either the Quad or either one of the trilats, or whether it’s a military exercise with the Philippines, the constant in all this by our side is Japan. That did not exist 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago. It’s a different — this is the new norm. And the constant in both the diplomatic arena, the defense arena, or the development and economic arena, which will be a big part of what happens with the Philippines trilat, is Japan is the constant in this effort.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I would just add one other thing to [senior administration official] colleagues that — look, it should not be lost on you that this is our fifth state visit and state dinner. But four of the five — this is the crowning partnership of the Quad. And so, this suggests how the President views the Quad, how important it is, how central it has been to his vision of a deeper Indo-Pacific engagement. And at the heart of that, as [senior administration official] has indicated, is Japan. Everything that we’re doing of purpose on the global stage we’re doing with Japan.

Q Could I ask also about the command structure, the end state of this?

MODERATOR: Unfortunately, we have to conclude today’s call. I’d like to offer it up to [senior administration official] for any quick closing remarks here.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’ll just speak briefly to that last question, which is to say, you know, the end state is that close integration and coordination of our forces, of the U.S. and Japan, in a way that’s appropriate for 21st century challenges. I think both of our countries has been clear that that’s the objective of our alliance modernization efforts. And we look forward to pursuing it in lockstep.

But zooming out, just back to sort of (inaudible) context of the week we’re having here, obviously we’ve been talking about, in a fair amount of detail, a number of these really substantial deliverables that are going to move our alliance forward in consequential ways.

But I want to bring us back to the fact that in addition to this state visit with Prime Minister Kishida — which, of course, in celebration of how much we’ve achieved in the last three years — we are also holding the first-ever trilateral leaders’ summit with President Marcos on Thursday. We’ll be back to share more on that tomorrow and to preview some of the outcomes then.

But when you take these two achievements together, these are critical parts of a much bigger picture in which the President’s vision, Jake Sullivan’s vision for how we do strategy in the Indo-Pacific is bearing itself out in real time.

You’re seeing a single treaty ally, who has always been one of the United States’ closest partners, stepping up in more consequential ways than anyone could have imagined. And another ally in the Philippines working more closely with us than (inaudible) the years. And the three of us together able to marshal resources towards common objectives in ways that weren’t even on the horizon two years ago.

So it really is an important week for (inaudible) in addition to our bilateral visit and the deliverables that we’re unveiling tomorrow. We’re grateful to all of you for the conversation today. And we look forward to talking about more soon.

MODERATOR: All right, thank you so much. And thank you all for joining today. Thank you to [senior administration official]. Thank you to [senior administration official].

I’d just like to remind everyone that this call is on background, attributed to senior administration officials, embargoed for tomorrow morning at 5:00 a.m.

I also wanted to flag for everyone that we will hold, for everyone’s planning purposes, another background call tomorrow afternoon, I believe at 3:00 p.m., to preview the trilateral summit of the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines. So, stay tuned for information about that.

And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to myself or our team here at the NSC. Thank you very much.

6:22 P.M. EDT

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Biden and Kishida Agree to Tighten Military and Economic Ties to Counter China

President Biden is hosting Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, for a state visit as part of a broad diplomatic outreach.

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By Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear

Reporting from the White House Rose Garden

President Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan announced a range of moves on Wednesday to further enhance military, economic and other cooperation between the two longtime allies as part of the president’s efforts to counter China’s aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

During a pomp-filled ceremony honoring the visiting Japanese prime minister, the president said the United States and Japan would create an expanded defense architecture with Australia, participate in three-way military exercises with Britain and explore ways for Japan to join a U.S.-led coalition with Australia and Britain.

Mr. Biden also announced that the United States would take a Japanese astronaut to the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which would be the first time a non-American has set foot on the moon.

“This is the most significant upgrade of our alliance since it was first established,” Mr. Biden said at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden along with the prime minister.

Mr. Kishida made a point of reaffirming Japan’s “strong support for Ukraine” in its war against Russia, a key priority for Mr. Biden, and framed the European conflict in terms of the precedent it could set in Japan’s neighborhood. “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Mr. Kishida said.

Biden Hosts Japan’s Prime Minister at the White House

President biden called the united states and japan “the closest of friends” during a welcoming ceremony for prime minister fumio kishida..

Just a few generations ago, our two nations were locked in a devastating conflict. It would have been easy to say we remain adversaries. Instead, we made a far better choice: We became the closest of friends. Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Kishida, welcome back to the White House.

Mr. Biden’s statements on Wednesday fit into a long history of American presidents declaring that the U.S.-Japan relationship was the most important bilateral alliance in the world.

In preparation for the state visit, Mr. Biden’s aides described the closer military link as one of the biggest upgrades of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which dates back to early 1960, an Eisenhower-era innovation to turn a former World War II enemy into what later presidents called America’s “biggest aircraft carrier in the Pacific.”

There has always been a bit of hyperbole to the statement. But as the perceived threat from China has grown, Japan has been the linchpin of broader U.S. efforts to unify its separate allies in the region — especially South Korea and the Philippines — into a coordinated force.

The prime minister’s visit comes at the same time Mr. Biden is strengthening the American partnership with the Philippines, which also finds itself the target of a mounting Chinese military presence in the South China Sea. On Thursday, Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines to demonstrate their joint commitment.

The day began with a welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn, where Mr. Biden hailed the relationship between the United States and Japan as a “cornerstone of peace, security, prosperity” and said that President Eisenhower’s promise of an “indestructible partnership” had been achieved.

“Just a few generations ago, our two nations were locked in a devastating conflict,” Mr. Biden said after he and Mr. Kishida watched a procession of U.S. military honor guards upon the prime minister’s arrival at the White House. “It would have been easy to say we remain adversaries. Instead, we made a far better choice: We became the closest of friends.”

The Biden administration signaled the importance of its relationship with Tokyo by holding an official state dinner on Wednesday evening in honor of Mr. Kishida, something reserved for America’s closest allies.

The visit comes amid hand-wringing in Washington and Tokyo over the possibility of a return to power by former President Donald J. Trump, whose unpredictable foreign policy kept many world leaders on edge. One goal for Mr. Biden, officials said, is to create as much permanence in the Japanese relationship as possible before the election in November.

One administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the upcoming meeting, said there was “anxiety in capitals” around the world, including in Tokyo, about whether Mr. Trump would continue the international engagement that Mr. Biden and prior presidents have embraced. Another official said there was a real risk that Mr. Trump, if re-elected, could move to undo what the leaders of the two countries announced on Wednesday.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida outlined greater coordination and integration between the military forces of both countries, including the formation of a joint defense council that could support more defense-related exports of equipment produced in Japan. And officials agreed on new cooperation on ventures in space and collaboration between research institutions working on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and clean energy.

“The American alliance system has helped bring peace and stability to the Indo-Pacific for decades, and now we need to update and upgrade that alliance network for the modern age,” said Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser. “It goes way beyond security. It’s economics. It’s technology. It’s infrastructure development. And it’s diplomacy. And that’s all going to be on display in the meeting with the prime minister.”

Rahm Emanuel, the United States ambassador to Japan, called the meeting a chance for the two nations to go beyond America’s work to protect Japan and to “write the first chapter of the next era” of cooperation as they work together to project power throughout the region.

That would be a more far-reaching relationship than the United States has historically had with Japan, which for decades after World War II restricted its spending on defense and its engagement around the world.

That began to change during the past several years, under Mr. Kishida, who pushed to expand defense spending and participate in global efforts like the sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Administration officials said Japan’s new willingness to become a full partner with the United States on the global stage has taken the alliance between the two countries to a new level.

But there are still some tensions. The two leaders had to dance carefully around Mr. Biden’s reluctance to let a Japanese firm buy a storied U.S. steel maker. That struck national security experts as strange, since such deals are usually blocked only when they give critical technology to adversaries, not allies.

“The idea that you block the acquisition of a company by one of your closest allies makes no sense in alliance-building terms,” said Joseph S. Nye Jr., an emeritus professor at Harvard who designed many of the defense cooperation strategies with Japan in the Clinton administration.

The meeting on Thursday between Mr. Biden, Mr. Kishida and Mr. Marcos represents a more aggressive effort by the United States and its allies to isolate China — rather than allowing the Chinese leadership to intimidate and isolate its neighbors in the South China Sea and elsewhere.

The Thursday meeting will be the first time that the leaders of the three nations have met together, officials said.

“We’re continuing to deepen our cooperation with our closest partners to ensure what we’ve talked about many times from this podium and elsewhere: a free, open and prosperous Indo Pacific,” Mr. Sullivan told reporters during a briefing at the White House on Tuesday.

Mr. Sullivan declined to say whether Mr. Biden would raise with Mr. Kishida the issue of plans by Nippon Steel, a Japanese corporation, to acquire U.S. Steel , the struggling manufacturer based in Pittsburgh. Mr. Biden has publicly said that he will have “the backs” of union steel workers, indicating his opposition to the deal.

“You guys all know Joe Biden,” he said. “You’ve seen Joe Biden. He’s been very clear that he’s going to stand up for American workers. He’s going to defend your interests. He’s also been very clear that he is going to make sure that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the strongest it’s ever been.”

But administration officials said later on Tuesday that they did not think the subject would come up between the two leaders on Wednesday because both men already know the position of the other.

Mr. Biden greeted Mr. Kishida on Tuesday evening for a brief arrival at the White House. Later, the two leaders and their wives went to BlackSalt, an upscale seafood restaurant in Washington, for a more casual dinner ahead of the formal events on Wednesday.

White House officials said the couples had exchanged a series of gifts on Tuesday evening, a diplomatic tradition for such events. The official gift from Mr. Biden and Jill Biden, the first lady, was a three-legged table that was handmade by a Japanese American-owned company in Pennsylvania.

Other gifts included a lithograph and a two-volume LP set autographed by Billy Joel and a vintage vinyl record collection. Dr. Biden gave Ms. Kishida a framed painting of the Yoshino cherry tree that the two had planted on the South Lawn last spring, and a soccer ball signed by the U.S. women’s national soccer team and the Japanese women’s team.

At the state dinner, the White House was scheduled to serve a meal that would include house-cured salmon and dry-aged rib-eye steak with blistered shishito pepper butter.

David E. Sanger contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article misstated which countries belong to a security pact that Japan may join. Its members are the United States, Australia and Britain, not the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of a home page headline with this article misstated the surname of Japan’s prime minister. He is Fumio Kishida, not Fushida.

How we handle corrections

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Biden and his administration. He has reported on politics for more than 30 years. More about Michael D. Shear

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Japan PM's US visit in 9 years to boost ties amid rising China concerns

Japanese prime minister fumio kishida's ongoing trip to washington marked the first such visit by a japanese head of state to the us in nine years..

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• PM Kishida's US visit marks first by a Japanese head of state in nine years
• Focus on deepening Japan-US alliance, cooperation in Indo-Pacific region
• Discussions to cover North Korean provocations, countering Chinese pressure

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida has embarked on a state visit to the US, marking the first such visit by a Japanese head of government in nine years. This visit is crucial, given the current global security environment and the pressing regional challenges in the Asia-Pacific.

Speaking to India Today TV , Noriyuki Shikata, Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs in Japan's Prime Minister's office, said, “At the bilateral summit meeting with President (Joe) Biden, Prime Minister Kishida will confirm the deepening ties between Japan and the US in the context of alliance, economic and business relations, promoting cultural exchanges, promoting sophisticated technology cooperation between the two nations."

"He will also address a joint meeting of US Congress, and would also discuss future-oriented relations between Japan and the US and the broader context of Japan-US cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, under a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Strengthening Bilateral and Trilateral Alliances

Prime Minister Kishida's visit underscores the growing importance of the Japan-US alliance, particularly in response to the complex security dynamics in the region.

"Prime Minister Kishida will confirm the deepening ties between Japan and the US in the context of alliance, economic and business relations, promoting cultural exchanges, promoting sophisticated technology cooperation," Noriyuki Shikata said.

The discussions are expected to cover a wide array of topics, including enhancing military coordination, addressing North Korea's provocations, and countering Chinese pressure in contested regions like the South China Sea.

The US, Japan, and the Philippines are set to discuss their collaborative efforts to maintain a "free and open order based on the rule of law", a principle that is pivotal for regional peace and prosperity.

“Prime Minister Kishida's week-long state visit, the first by a Japanese head of government in nine years, coincides with a deteriorating security environment in the region. The visit is expected to consolidate their bilateral defence partnership, and reassure the Philippines at their trilateral summit, in the face of an assertive China,” Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, Director General of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, told India Today TV .

"Kishida's visit will create a new baseline for cooperation, regardless of the outcome of the November 5 US presidential elections," he added.

Addressing the China Challenge

The trilateral summit involving the US, Japan, and the Philippines is particularly significant, considering the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.

Ambassador Sujan Chinoy emphasised the visit's timing amidst a "deteriorating security environment" in the region.

Kishida's visit aims to "consolidate their bilateral defence partnership and reassure the Philippines," particularly in light of China's assertive posture.

China's reaction to these developments is predictably critical, with Ambassador Chinoy noting that Beijing would likely view the trilateral meeting as an attempt to "contain China and encircle it", framing it as "interference" by external powers in its core interests.

He said, “China will, as usual, criticise the trilateral meeting as it did in reaction to the joint naval drill by the US, Japan, Australia and Philippines navies in the South China Sea on Sunday (April 7). The PLAN conducted counter drills there, and said the area was under control because all the 'irritants' had left the area."

"It will undoubtedly term the visit as yet more 'interference' by 'small cliques' in regard to its 'core interests' and as an attempt to 'contain China and encircle it'."

Noriyuki Shikata, the official at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office, said, “We are of the view that anywhere in the world there should not be attempts to change the status quo by force in a unilateral fashion. So that's why we are opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And we have been extending our support for Ukraine. At the same time, we are concerned about some of the unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea.”

“And Prime Minister Kishida has also been trying to engage with (Chinese) President Xi Jinping. The last time was on the margins of APEC Leaders Summit in San Francisco in November 2023. So Prime Minister Kishida has been conveying his views, his concerns regarding China's activities in the region," he said.

"At the same time, he is looking for opportunities for cooperation between Japan and China on global issues such as climate change.”

Economic and Defence Ties

Prime Minister Kishida's trip is not solely about security; it also focusses on bolstering economic and defence collaboration. The planned USD15 billion acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel signifies the depth of economic interconnections between the two nations, highlighting the strategic nature of their partnership.

The defence ties between Japan and the US are a cornerstone of their strategic partnership, significantly highlighted during Prime Minister Kishida's ongoing trip to Washington. Amid evolving security challenges, particularly concerning China's regional assertiveness and North Korea's nuclear ambitions, this visit underscored the commitment of both nations to enhance their military collaboration.

“As far as the Japanese security viewpoint is concerned, we are facing threats and security concerns from North Korea with a missile program or nuclear program. And as we have already discussed, you know, China's activities in the region... And besides, we are also attentive to emerging collaboration between North Korea and Russia going both ways. So we need to have a regional picture. And I believe that India and Japan could share common viewpoints,” said Shikata.

Discussions likely touched on Japan's plans to double its defence spending, its role in the AUKUS (Australia, the UK, US) defence pact, and the enhancement of joint military capabilities, including the proposed upgrade of the American military command structure in Japan.

These developments are not just about bolstering defence capabilities but also about sending a strong signal of deterrence in the region, emphasising the solidity of the Japan-US alliance in maintaining regional peace and stability.

To a question about revamping the American military command in Japan and appointing a four-star US general commanding the forces there, Shikata said, “Japan is coming up with a new permanent integrated command structure in the Japanese Self-Defense Force."

"We understand that the US side is considering reviewing its command structure, especially in the context of US forces in Japan. And we wish to deepen our collaboration between Japanese forces and US forces. But it's not a joint command of the US and Japan," he said.

"We are talking about separate command structures for both countries and how we could deepen our alliance collaboration in the context of interoperability and improving our capabilities together.”

Taiwan Question

The issue of Taiwan is a key focus during Prime Minister Kishida's visit to the US, reflecting the shared concerns of Japan and the US regarding regional stability.

Cabinet Secretary Noriyuki Shikata emphasised the importance of peace and stability around Taiwan, and said, "We have the view that the issues and problems surrounding Taiwan will be settled peacefully through dialogue."

To a question on whether Japan would come to Taiwan’s rescue should China make military overtures to the island state, Shikata said, “On the issue of Taiwan, peace and stability of the region is very important, not only for the Japanese security landscape, but for the future, the international society as a whole."

"So we have the view that the issues and problems surrounding Taiwan will be settled peacefully through dialogue. And this is the view that we have conveyed to the Chinese sideâ€æ So this is something we are working on, and we urge China to play a responsible role as a big power.“

This stance underscores the commitment of both Japan and the US to a peaceful resolution of tensions, advocating for dialogue over conflict, and highlights their unified approach to ensuring stability in the Indo-Pacific region amidst rising tensions.

The Broader Implications

The Japanese leader's US visit also holds broader implications for regional stability, especially concerning the issue of Taiwan.

Shikata emphasised the importance of peaceful dialogue, stating, "We urge China to play a responsible role as a big power... And we need to work together with other like-minded countries, including India."

Prime Minister Kishida's visit to the US is a pivotal moment in bilateral relations, set against the backdrop of an evolving geopolitical landscape.

IN THIS STORY

What to Know About the Japanese Prime Minister’s Visit to Washington

President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to discuss everything from increased military cooperation to Japan’s participation in a NASA mission.

Japanese PM Comes to Washington

DREW ANGERER | AFP via Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minsiter Fumio Kishida arrives for a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknow Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on April 9, 2024.

This week marks a historic moment as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida makes his first official visit to the White House – the first state visit of a Japanese leader since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to the nation’s capital in 2015.

Talks between Biden and Kishida come at a crucial time, as both men look to shore up the alliance while they face their own political threats: in Biden's case, a close reelection campaign, and in Kishida’s, a political corruption scandal that has dampened his public support .

Did You Know?

Kishida, the fifth world leader honored by Biden with a state dinner since he took office in 2021, will dine at the White House on Wednesday. The two men are expected to discuss everything from increased military cooperation to Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program. Kishida has also been invited to address the U.S. Congress on Thursday.

Here’s what to know about the visit:

Who Is Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida?

Kishida is head of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and became the country’s prime minister in 2021, but spent part of his childhood attending elementary school in New York. Kishida has shifted Japan’s traditional approach to foreign policy by increasing the country’s military spending in 2023 from 6.8 trillion yen ($45 billion) to a record 7.7 trillion yen ( $51 billion). Several scandals have brought down his popularity, with a poll from last December indicating a record low approval rating of just 17%, according to reports .

What Is the Significance of the Japanese Prime Minister’s State Visit to the U.S.?

Relations between Japan and the United States are vital to ensuring both economic and military stability within the Pacific region at a time when concerns have been rising over China’s desire to expand its presence there, says Jeffrey Hornung, Japan lead for the National Security Research Division at RAND Corp., a global research organization. China for years has expressed a desire to take over control of Taiwan, Hornung says, and has more recently been in a territorial dispute with the Philippines over control of much of the South China Sea.

Hornung says the meeting between Biden and Kishida will help to highlight the strong alliance between the two countries in the face of heightened tensions with China as well as North Korea.

“It’s messaging, as well as an opportunity to just make sure the two countries are on the same page in moving forward in the various fields that they’re likely to discuss,” Hornung says.

What Is Likely to Be Discussed During Fumio Kishida’s State Visit to the U.S.?

One of the leading topics of discussion will be strategies for defense of the Pacific region moving forward, with a focus on strengthening the military industrial supply chain between Japan and the U.S., says Mireya Solis, director of the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank.

Solis says new efforts are underway to restructure U.S military command in Japan in order to better coordinate joint military exercises as well as a defense response if Japan is attacked.

Also likely to be discussed is a potential invitation for Japan to become a member of AUKUS, a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. launched in 2021 to provide Australia with nuclear-powered and conventionally-armed submarines.

On Thursday, the White House will hold a trilateral summit in which Kishida and Biden will be joined by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to highlight their commitment to cooperation.

“The United States, with Japan at its side, is developing networks for a coalition of the like-minded to address some of the most significant challenges,” Solis says.

The two men are also likely to discuss cooperation in space exploration. Biden and Kishida are “expected to confirm Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program as well as its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp.,” according to the Associated Press.

What Are Areas of Tension Between Japan and the U.S.?

Hornung says the only potential issue of contention between Japan and the U.S. lies not with their policies, but with an impending purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel of Japan, which Biden has publicly opposed . Both Hornung and Solis however say it is very unlikely either Kishida or Biden will bring up the sale during their talks due to the politically sensitive nature of the issue both in the U.S. and in Japan.

“I think the position has been that they’re going to let the process work itself out,” Solis says.

What Is the Relationship Between the U.S. and Japan?

Hornung says the relationship between the U.S. and Japan currently is probably the strongest it has ever been, with the two countries fully aligned in their policies toward China, Russia and North Korea.

Solis agrees the current relationship is solid, adding that Japan’s more active role in recent years in trade and diplomacy with other countries has mostly aligned with the U.S. and elevated its presence in places like Africa and South America.

But uncertainty hangs over the meeting, with questions over whose hands will be controlling American foreign policy after the November 2024 U.S. presidential election. Former President Donald Trump – the presumptive Republican presidential nominee – has previously embraced a more transactional type of relationship regarding its alliance with countries like Japan, which still sees the U.S. as key to its security, Solis says.

“If the United States were to pull back being fully committed to its alliances that would obviously change things in a very profound way,” Solis says.

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