The Japanese media reported that US President Joe Biden responded greatly to the idea of ’new capitalism’ at a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying, “It’s like my presidential promise.” It is explained that the leaders of the United States and Japan built a close relationship by calling each other ‘Jo’ and ‘Fumio’ during a video conference that lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes on the 21st.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 23rd, the two leaders discussed this issue as a core agenda to the extent of discussing China for about half of their talks. President Biden talked about various tasks for China from the beginning, and at the suggestion of Prime Minister Kishida, the United States, Japan, Australia, and India decided to hold a ‘Quad’ summit in Japan in the first half of this year. President Biden is said to have also introduced the fact that during the US-China summit, President Xi Jinping said, “Please don’t hold a quad summit.” Prime Minister Kishida also posted on Twitter on the 22nd, “I sincerely look forward to the reunion in Japan.”
“U.S.-Japan leaders build personal trust relationship”
Yomiuri said that the two leaders took this opportunity to “establish a relationship of personal trust.” When Prime Minister Kishida explained that he would face (without avoiding) the harmful effects of capitalism, such as disparity and division, of the ‘new capitalism’, the guiding principle. “I want to meet and talk in person,” he replied. “The Prime Minister’s argument seems to resonate with Biden, who values the middle class,” the newspaper said.
Initially, Prime Minister Kishida visited the United States and held a summit meeting after the House of Representatives election in late October last year before the regular session of the National Assembly, which started in mid-January this year. However, as the Omicron infection rapidly spread in the US at the end of the year, visiting the US became difficult. According to Yomiuri, the new US ambassador to Japan, Ram Emanuel, helped the video conference to take place. Ambassador Lam was also close to President Biden as he served as the president’s chief aide during the Barack Obama administration.
U.S. President Joe Biden (right) holds a videoconference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on the 21st. AP Yonhap News, courtesy of the White House
Although the US and Japan were almost in agreement with China’s response, such as opposing China’s attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas and citing peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, there were differences in details. Although they emphasized economic and security cooperation and agreed to establish an ‘Economic Edition 2+2’ meeting, Japan repeatedly requested the US to participate in the ‘Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)’, while the US responded to the ‘Asia-Pacific Economic Framework’. A new approach is being pursued. This seems to be because participation in multilateral free trade agreements such as the TPP is difficult due to opposition from the unions, the basis of support for the Biden administration.
“Biden, the beneficiary in the US… The only person I can talk to comfortably is Japan”
Meanwhile, over the summit, Japanese experts analyzed that the United States and Japan are “becoming more equal partners than before.” This is because the U.S. has no choice but to rely on China the most, requesting Japan to increase its defense capabilities in relation to its policies toward China. In an interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Professor Maesama Kazuhiro of Jochi University said, “In the United States, the only partner in the United States that pardoned Biden can talk to is Japan, such as rapid inflation, the spread of COVID-19 infection, and the crisis of passing voting-related bills.” Diagnosed. He said, “Prime Minister Kishida is ‘liberal within conservatives’ and President Biden is ‘conservative within liberals’, so we are building a relationship of trust where we can understand each other’s thoughts.” We are becoming partners.”
Tokyo = Jinju Choi correspondent pariscom@hankookilbo.com
