U.S. President Joe Biden will welcome Japanese PM Kishida Fumio tomorrow for a state visit in Washington, where the two are expected to announce new commitments to modernizing the U.S.-Japan military alliance. Kishida will also deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. (Washington Post)
Our Take
Biden and Kishida are meeting at a time when U.S.-Japan relations are at their strongest point in recent memory. This is most visible in the two sides’ security partnership, in which Tokyo and Washington appear to be in lock-step. The U.S. and Japan view the East Asian security landscape, including the looming threat of China, similarly, and Japan has stepped up its role as a regional security provider in response.
Beyond security, Tokyo has also elevated its focus on a number of U.S. priorities, including support for Ukraine, partnerships with the Global South, warming relations with fellow U.S. ally South Korea and involvement in the so-called Quad, which also includes India and Australia. The only real point of friction between the two leaders this week is Biden’s opposition to Japan-based Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. But even that has not led to a deterioration in relations between Washington and Tokyo, and should be a manageable bump in the road if the deal is ultimately blocked.