"Biden and Kishida Expected to Include 'Joint Deterrence of China' in Joint Statement on the 23rd"

Increased Chinese Backlash After Last Year's Taiwan Issue Mention
China Expected to Demand Allies Like South Korea Join Containment Efforts

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] There is a possibility that a public message will be demanded. Concerns are also emerging that regional tensions will escalate in light of President Biden's Asia tour.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the same day, the U.S. and Japanese governments are coordinating to include a clause in the joint statement to be announced on the 23rd by President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stating that "China's actions that undermine regional stability will be jointly deterred and cooperatively addressed." It is also reported that the content regarding "the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," which was included in the joint statement of the U.S.-Japan summit last April, will be included again.

If this clause is included, it will be the first time that the issue of curbing China's influence is explicitly stated in a joint statement between the two countries, and a strong backlash from the Chinese government is expected. Previously, when the U.S.-Japan summit joint statement was announced last April, the Chinese government protested, claiming that the mention of the Taiwan issue was interference in internal affairs.

The U.S. and its allies' joint deterrence plan against China was first revealed in the Indo-Pacific strategy guideline document released by the Biden administration in February. The document states, "The United States must work together with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand, to curb the expansion of China's influence."

Accordingly, attention is focused on whether President Biden will emphasize curbing China's influence with allies during the South Korea-U.S. summit on the 21st, which will be held prior to his visit to Japan.

The joint statement is also expected to include a promise to maintain extended deterrence, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, to protect Japan. During this Korea-Japan tour, President Biden plans to announce the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and Prime Minister Kishida is expected to declare Japan's participation in line with Biden's visit to Japan.

IPEF is known as a form of economic cooperation aimed at curbing China's economic territorial expansion and uniting countries in the region. It is expected that some of the major allies such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and some of the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will participate.