U.S. strongly committed to Japan defense, Biden tells Kishida, hails
military boost
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[January 14, 2023]
By Andrea Shalal and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden told Japanese Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida on Friday the United States was "fully, thoroughly,
completely" committed to Japan's defense and praised Tokyo's security
build up, saying the nations had never been closer.
Kishida is in Washington on the last stop in a tour of the G7 industrial
powers and has been seeking to bolster long-standing alliances amid
rising concern in Japan, and the United States, about mounting regional
security threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
In a meeting at the White House, Biden called it a "remarkable moment"
in the U.S.-Japan alliance. He said the two countries had never been
closer.
"Let me be crystal clear: The United States is fully, thoroughly,
completely committed to the alliance, and importantly ... to the defense
of Japan," he said, while also thanking Kishida for strong leadership in
working closely on technology and economic issues.
"We are modernizing our military alliances, building on Japan's historic
increase in defense spending, and new national security strategy," Biden
said.
Kishida thanked Biden for U.S. work on regional security and said:
"Japan and the United States are currently facing the most challenging
and complex security environment in recent history." He said Tokyo had
formulated its new defense strategy released last month "to ensure peace
and prosperity in the region."
He said the two countries shared fundamental values of democracy and the
rule of law "and the role that we are to play is becoming even greater."
Kishida said he looked forward to a "candid" exchange of views on issues
including "a free and open Indo-Pacific" - language the two sides use to
describe efforts to push back against China - the G7, which Japan's
currently chairs, and climate change.
In a later speech at Washington's Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies, Kishida called China the "central challenge" for
both Japan and the United States and said they and Europe must act in
unison in dealing with the country.
Kishida also stressed the importance of standing up to Russia's invasion
of Ukraine, saying that if a unilateral change to the status quo went
unchallenged, the same would happen elsewhere, including in Asia - an
apparent reference to China's vow to reunite with self-ruled Taiwan, by
force if necessary.
DRAMATIC MILITARY CHANGE
Japan last month announced its biggest military build-up since World War
Two - a dramatic departure from seven decades of pacifism, largely
fueled by concerns about Chinese actions in the region.
"Biden commended Japan’s bold leadership in fundamentally reinforcing
its defense capabilities and strengthening diplomatic efforts,"
according to a joint U.S.-Japan statement issued after the meeting.
U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers met on Wednesday and
announced increased security cooperation following nearly two years of
talks and the U.S. officials praised Tokyo's military buildup plans.
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U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands
with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a bilateral meeting
in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., January
13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Japan's military reform plan will see it double defense spending to
2% of GDP and procure missiles that can strike ships or land-based
targets 1,000 km (600 miles) away.
Before the meeting, a senior U.S. official said Biden and Kishida
were expected to discuss security issues and the global economy and
that their talks are likely to include control of
semiconductor-related exports to China after Washington announced
strict curbs last year.
SEMICONDUCTORS
The joint statement said the United States and Japan "will sharpen
our shared edge on economic security, including protection and
promotion of critical and emerging technologies, including
semiconductors."
Kishida, Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken later signed an agreement on peaceful space
exploration at NASA’s headquarters in Washington.
Blinken said this would take space cooperation "to new heights" and
strengthen the partnership in areas including research into space
technology and transportation, robotic lunar surface missions,
climate-related missions, and "our shared ambition to see a Japanese
astronaut on the lunar surface."
At the ceremony, Kishida said the U.S.-Japan alliance was "stronger
than ever."
As well as chairing the G7, Japan took up a two-year term on the
U.N. Security Council on Jan. 1 and holds the rotating monthly
presidency of the 15-member body for January.
Kishida has said he backs Biden's attempt to limit China's access to
advanced semiconductors with export restrictions. Still, he has not
agreed to match sweeping curbs on exports of chip-manufacturing
equipment that Washington imposed in October.
The U.S. official said Washington was working closely with Japan on
the issue and believes they share a similar vision even if their
legal structures are different. He said the more countries and
significant players that backed the controls, the more effective
they would be.
A Japanese official said economic security, including
semiconductors, was likely to be discussed, but that no announcement
was expected on that from the meeting.
Biden and Kishida committed to "strengthening vital trilateral
cooperation" among the United States, Japan and South Korea, said
the joint statement, which follows North Korea's decision to
exponentially increase its nuclear force and codify its right to a
first strike.
Kishida's visit follows one by Biden to Tokyo in May and a meeting
between the two at a November regional summit in Cambodia.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, David Brunnstrom, Michael
Martina, Tim Ahmann and Eric Beech; Editing by Don Durfee, Alistair
Bell and Grant McCool)
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