US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed issues such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the capture of North Korea at a summit in Washington. President Biden welcomed Japan’s new security strategy and reaffirmed the United States’ defense commitment to Japan. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports. (Video commentary: Kim Seon-myeong / Video editing: Lee Sang-do)
US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met again at the White House.
This is the first summit between the USA and Japan two months after meeting at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia last November.
In all comments before the summit, President Biden said that we are meeting at an important time for the alliance, and he emphasized the importance of the alliance between the US and Japan and security cooperation between the two countries when talking about Japan’s new national security strategy.
Joe Biden / President of the United States
“We are modernizing our military alliance based on Japan’s historic increase in defense spending and a new national security strategy. Let me be clear. The United States is fully and thoroughly committed to the alliance. More importantly, we do so in order to protect Japan. “
Prime Minister Kishida also emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is essential, saying that Japan and the United States are facing the most challenging and complex security environment in recent history.
Fumio Kishida / Prime Minister of Japan
“As Joe (President Biden) rightly pointed out, I feel that the role of Japan and the United States, which share basic values like the rule of law, is becoming much larger.”
The two leaders also included all these points in the joint statement issued after the summit.
In particular, the two leaders said that our cooperation today is unprecedented, rooted in a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and a peaceful and prosperous world, and guided by our shared values, including the management of the law.
At the same time, he pointed out that the Indo-Pacific is facing more and more challenges, from China’s actions that do not comply with the international rules-based order to North Korea’s provocations.
The two sides then reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution, and President Biden also confirmed the United States’ commitment to immediately resolve the issue of Japan’s abduction by North Korea.
The two leaders also pledged to strengthen vital trilateral cooperation between Japan, South Korea and the United States in security and other areas.
On this day, Prime Minister Kishida met with Vice President Kamala Harris at the residence of the Vice President of the United States before the summit with President Biden.
The White House said Prime Minister Kishida and Vice President Harris discussed regional and global issues, including the threat posed by North Korea, and Vice President Harris reaffirmed the United States’ firm commitment to the alliance between Japan and the United States.
This is VOA News Hamjiha.
