U.S. aims to bolster front against China at talks with leaders of Japan, Philippines
U.S. President Biden is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Kishida on Wednesday and Philippines President Marcos on Thursday before the leaders get together for a trilateral summit expected to focus on upgrading defence structures and countering Ch
.S. President Joe Biden hosts the leaders of Japan and the Philippines this week to boost economic and defence ties as the allies seek to offset China’s growing might and manage risks ranging from North Korea to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Mr. Biden’s bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday is expected to bring an upgrade in defence ties with Japan, Washington’s cornerstone ally in the IndoPacific region and an increasingly important global partner.
Mr. Kishida, beleaguered at home, will be greeted in America with great fanfare, with Japanese flags already festooning Washington lampposts and a glittering White House dinner with some 200 guests.
On Thursday, he will become only the second Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress after his assassinated predecessor Shinzo Abe gave a speech in 2015.
Political analysts say the visit is a chance for Mr. Kishida to boost dire domestic popularity ratings ahead of a September leadership contest in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The U.S. will hail Japan as a vital regional and glo
Ubal ally and Mr. Kishida will be able to bask in praise for defence reforms that have taken Japan further from its postwar pacifism.
Controversy brewing
Overshadowing the visit is a controversy over the planned $15 billion acquisition of American steel maker U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, a deal some say is “on life support” after criticism by Mr. Biden and Donald Trump, his rival in November’s presidential election.
Also looming over the meetings are Japanese concerns that Mr. Trump, if elected to office, might seek a deal with China that could destabilise the region, revive protectionist trade measures or demand more money for the upkeep of U.S. forces in Japan, worries some analysts and those close to the former President say are overblown.
On Thursday, Mr. Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, whom he welcomed in Washington just last year, before the two join Mr. Kishida for a trilateral summit expected to focus on countering Chinese pressure on the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea.
“Close cooperation between Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines is crucial for a free and open order based on the rule of law and for economic prosperity in the region,” Mr. Kishida said on Friday.
Japan last year delivered air defence radars to the Philippines and is negotiating a reciprocalaccess agreement that would make it easier for Japanese troops to train there.
The U.S., Japanese, Australian and Philippines warships also conducted a oneday South China Sea exercise on Sunday in support a free and open IndoPacific region.
U.S. officials emphasise that summit interactions with the Philippines will cover more than defence, with “consequential” outcomes in areas such as energy and economic security, and major infrastructure projects.
“It’s a really important moment for us to hear from the Philippines about what kinds of support may be most useful,” a senior
U.S. administration official said.
Concern for Taiwan
With concerns that Russia’s Ukraine invasion might embolden Beijing to move against Taiwan, a strategic selfruled island that produces the world’s most advanced semiconductors, the leaders are expected to discuss plans to upgrade the U.S. military command structure in Japan to make it better able to work with Japanese forces in a crisis.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory despite strident objections from the government in Taipei and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Beijing’s control.
The three leaders are also expected to announce steps to allow more joint development, and potentially coproduction, of military and defence equipment, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a key architect of U.S. IndoPacific policy, said last week. “The current security environment is tough and complex, and we are at a turning point in history,” Mr. Kishida said on Friday.
Under Mr. Kishida, Japan has pledged to double defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product, which could make it the world’s third biggest military spender. Its plans include acquiring hundreds of cruise missiles that can strike away.
Japan has also become important to the U.S. as a potential production base for munitions, including Patriot PAC3 antimissile systems that will be reexported to Ukraine, and for its shipyards, which are becoming key for repair of U.S. warships.
The BidenKishida summit is expected to address Japan’s future involvement in the threeway AUKUS defence pact between Australia, Britain and the U.S., but officials and experts say obstacles remain given a need for Japan to introduce better cyber defences and stricter rules for guarding secrets.
Amid the Nippon Steel controversy, U.S. officials want to highlight other Japanese investment in the U.S. Deals in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, aviation and construction will contribute “to goodpaying, strong American jobs,” the senior administration official said.
Space is another focus, with Japan hoping to land its first astronaut on the moon with the U.S. Artemis project that envisages returning humans there by 2026, as competition heats up with both Russia and China.
“This is the dream,” Mr. Kishida told the U.S. PBS NewsHour programme, “that a Japanese astronaut might be stepping his feet on the face of the moon.” targets km