Kyodo News "Biden Expresses Expectation for Japan's Defense Budget Increase to Kishida"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope for Japan's plan to increase defense spending during a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier last month.

On the 27th, Kyodo News, citing U.S. government sources, reported this and predicted that with mentions of Japan's defense spending increase during the first call between the two leaders, defense spending is expected to be a major agenda item if the first formal face-to-face summit takes place.

Prime Minister Kishida made a phone call with President Biden on September 5, the day after his inauguration, becoming the first foreign leader to do so.

President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida met earlier this month at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in the United Kingdom, but their interaction was limited to a brief 'pull aside' (informal, unofficial meeting) rather than a formal summit.

It has been reported that Prime Minister Kishida hopes to visit the United States within this year to hold a formal meeting with President Biden.

Until now, Japan's defense spending has traditionally not exceeded 1% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

However, during the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election in September, Prime Minister Kishida showed enthusiasm for increasing defense spending, stating that "we should not be bound by numbers."

President Biden did not mention the desirable scale of the increase during the phone call with Prime Minister Kishida.