Emanuel welcomes Biden on Asia visit
TOKYO — President Joe Biden on Monday is set to launch a new Indo-Pacific trade pact designed to signal U.S. dedication to the region and address the need for stability in commerce after the chaos caused by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The White House says the new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework will help the United States and Asian economies work more closely on issues including supply chains, digital trade, clean energy, worker protections and anticorruption efforts. The details still need to be negotiated among the member countries.
Countries signing on to the framework were to be announced Monday during Biden’s visit to Tokyo for talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. It’s the latest step by the Biden administration to try to preserve and broaden U.S. influence in a region that until recently looked to be under the growing sway of China.
Kishida hosted a formal state welcome for Biden at Akasaka Palace, including a white-clad military honor guard and band in the front plaza. Reviewing the assembled troops, Biden placed his hand over his heart as he passed that American flag, and bowed slightly as he passed the Japanese standard.
Biden is in the midst of a fiveday visit to South Korea and Japan — the first trip to Asia of his presidency — that wraps on Tuesday.
A statement from the ambassador’s office said Biden’s first stop was at the U.S. ambassador’s residence, where he was greeted by Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, former Chicago mayor, and Amy Rule, former Chicago first lady.
With Biden on hand, Emanuel dedicated the residence’s Norman Yoshio Mineta Room, named after the former U.S. Commerce and Transportation secretary who died this month. Emanuel said in the statement: “Norm Mineta and I worked together when I was a freshman Congressman, and he was Secretary of Transportation. He helped me secure modernization of Chicago’s public transportation Brown Line.”