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President Joe Biden on Wednesday welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House for an official visit, as Biden seeks to make clear his commitment to a secure Indo-Pacific region and the value the U.S. has placed on Japan as an essential partner in that endeavor.
“The alliance between Japan and the United States is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world,” Biden said during an arrival ceremony that featured all the pageantry typically bestowed on a foreign leader ahead of an official U.S. visit with a state dinner.
“Closer, stronger and more effective than ever before in history,” the president added of the U.S.-Japan relationship.
During the South Lawn ceremony, Biden lauded his Japanese counterpart as a “visionary and courageous leader.” He praised Kishida for isolating and condemning Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, presiding over “profound changes in defense” and his leadership of the G-7 last year.
Senior administration officials told reporters Tuesday that under Kishida, Japan has committed to raising its defense spending and acquired Tomahawk counterstrike capability, which they say will aid in our collective deterrence.
“Today our economic relationship is one of the strongest and the deepest in the world,” Biden said. “Our democracies are beacons of freedom shining across the globe and the ties of friendship, family, connect the Japanese and American people.”
Kishida noted Japan would “join hands with American friends” to take on the challenges and difficulties facing the world. The Japanese leader announced he is sending an additional 250 cherry trees to the U.S. to mark the country’s upcoming anniversary.
Following the ceremony, the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office ahead of a scheduled joint press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Administration officials said the U.S. and Japan will announce more than 70 items on the official visit.
On Tuesday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted among the expected announcements will be measures to “enhance” our defense and security cooperation as well as “major deliverables” on space. He added there will be announcements on research partnerships on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum semiconductors and clean energy.
“Over the course of the visit, the president and the prime minister will highlight the high ambition of our alliance. Yes, in the defense and technology space, but also across the board, deepening our partnerships on space, technology, economic investment and fighting climate change,” Sullivan said, “coordinating global diplomacy and strengthening our people-to-people ties.”
On Monday, the Pentagon announced that the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia were considering having Japan join in on the AUKUS partnership, which aims to equip Australia with nuclear-powered and conventionally armed submarines – a move Beijing has opposed.
Military coordination will be a theme of the visit — and of the American-Japanese partnership moving forward. Over the weekend, the U.S. and Japan were among a quartet of nations participating in joint military exercises in the South China Sea. Those exercises are part of a change to the force structure in Japan, a senior official said Wednesday, as the U.S. seeks to integrate forces for joint protection in the region.
The U.S. and Japan will also announce and promote research initiatives, including a a joint AI project between Carnegie Mellon University and Keio University in Tokyo, a venerable private research university; a second AI project between the University of Tsukuba, a national university; and a monetary scholarship to fund cultural exchange programs between American and Japanese high school students.
Festivities will continue Wednesday night with a formal state dinner in the White House’s East Room. First lady Jill Biden and White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo told reporters on Tuesday that the dinner’s decor was partly inspired by Japanese gardens and will seek to celebrate springtime.
Wednesday will mark the fifth state dinner of Biden’s presidency, with four of the five honoring fellow Indo-Pacific nations: South Korea, India and Australia. Biden’s first state dinner went to France.
But Wednesday’s celebratory events also come at a moment of public disagreement between the leaders of the two nations after Biden announced last month that he does not support a planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan. In December, Nippon Steel said it planned to buy the Pittsburgh-headquartered U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion.
Senior White House officials, speaking to reporters Wednesday, were quick to discount the idea of the steel deal becoming a major topic of discussion between the leaders.
“We think the relationship is much bigger than that, and I think everybody understands everybody’s position,” an official said.
The festivities kicked off Tuesday, when Biden and the first lady greeted Kishida and Mrs. Yuko Kishida at the White House. On Tuesday, Kishida laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, which Biden noted during Wednesday morning’s ceremony he “truly” appreciated.
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Maddie Gannon
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