Reaffirming Strong Alliance... Expecting Effectiveness in Containing China
Delegation Reduced to About 80 Members, Two-Thirds Less to Prevent COVID-19 Spread
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide will head to Washington on the afternoon of the 15th aboard the Japanese government’s official plane for a summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
According to Kyodo News on the 15th, President Biden and Prime Minister Suga are scheduled to hold a summit at the White House in the early morning of the 17th Korea time (afternoon of the 16th U.S. Eastern Time).
This meeting will be the first time President Biden meets a foreign leader in person since taking office.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects that the two leaders will reaffirm the firm alliance between the United States and Japan during this summit.
The two countries are also expected to reconfirm that the Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu Dao in Chinese), a territory disputed between China and Japan, fall under the scope of Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which stipulates the U.S. defense obligations toward Japan.
Amid rising tensions surrounding the Senkaku Islands, the Japanese government hopes to achieve a deterrent effect against China through this summit.
China recently enacted a Coast Guard Law allowing its coast guard to use weapons. Because of this, China frequently sends its vessels to waters near the Senkaku Islands, causing the Japanese government to remain on high alert.
The U.S. and Japan are also expected to discuss cooperation measures to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues as well as the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea.
Regarding North Korea policy, it is anticipated that the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan will be reaffirmed.
The U.S. and China are reported to share concerns over human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong, and are expected to agree on cooperation to strengthen supply chains that do not rely on China.
President Biden and Prime Minister Suga are also expected to discuss common challenges facing the international community, such as COVID-19 and climate change.
With growing calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19, attention is focused on what opinion President Biden might express on this matter.
Kyodo News reported that the results of this summit will be announced in the form of a joint document by the U.S. and Japanese governments.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, a Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated that the size of the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Suga on his visit to the U.S. has been reduced to about 80 people, roughly two-thirds the size of a typical Japanese prime ministerial visit to the U.S.
All members of the delegation have been vaccinated, and their activities and movements in the U.S. will be strictly limited to reduce the risk of infection.
Prime Minister Suga is scheduled to arrive at Tokyo Haneda Airport on the 18th.
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