Biden And Kishida To Modernise Military Partnership

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in Washington DC this evening ahead of his Official Visit with President Biden on Wednesday and a ‘historic’ trilateral summit with Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos on Thursday.

• Kishida will also address a Joint Session of Congress on Thursday where he is expected to stress that Japan-US military partnership is crucial in maintaining a free and open international order.
• The Washington Post notes: “Biden and Kishida are expected to commit to modernizing their military alliance; outline a vision for an integrated air defense network that links Japanese, Australian and U.S. sensors; and announce that a Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American on a NASA mission to the moon.”
• WaPo continues: “The summits are the latest display of the Biden administration’s efforts to deepen what it calls a ‘latticework’ of alliances and partnerships in the region — a clear signal to China.”
• Kishida said in an interview ahead of the trip: “The world is now facing a historical turning point with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East, and the security environment in East Asia. It is important to demonstrate to the world the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance...”
• Kishida added: “During the visit, I would also like to emphasize that the Japan-U.S. alliance is not a relationship that is formed solely between the leaders of the two countries, but also between the Congress, between governments, and many private companies, local governments, and so on.”