President Biden of the United States will visit Japan from May 22nd to 24th, and will hold a Japan-US summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida on the 23rd.
This is the first full-scale face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, and it is expected that further cooperation will be confirmed in a wide range of fields such as security and economy, taking into account the situation in Ukraine.
Ukraine situation
Sharing the recognition that Russia's military invasion of Ukraine shakes the foundations of the international order and is absolutely unacceptable, the G7 = seven major countries will work together to continue to support Ukraine with strict sanctions on Russia. It is expected to confirm the policy to go.
Japan-US alliance
Recognizing that the international order based on the rule of law, such as the situation in Ukraine and the supremacy of China, is being challenged, we agreed to make the Japan-US alliance even more unwavering, and the region with China in mind. It is expected to confirm the policy of strengthening the deterrence and coping power of both Japan and the United States in order to strengthen the security of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to drastically strengthen defense capabilities based on the LDP's proposal to possess "counterattack capability" to deal with ballistic missiles and to increase defense costs. Opinions are likely to be exchanged over the strengthening of "extended deterrence" that protects Japan through deterrence.
China
Dealing with China is also one of the main agenda items.
China has expressed serious concern about its intensifying expansion into the East China Sea and South China Sea, and is likely to share the view that no one-sided change in the status quo by force is allowed in any region.
They agreed on a policy of promoting cooperation toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and are subject to Article 5 of the Japan-US Security Treaty, which stipulates the defense obligations of the United States by the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. It is expected to reconfirm that there is.
In addition, as China is becoming more cautious about unifying Taiwan against the backdrop of military power in the future, the Byden administration will focus on exchanges over Taiwan, as well as in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong. Human rights issues will also be addressed and serious concerns will be shared.
north korea
Regarding the response to North Korea, which is strengthening the development of nuclear and missile technologies, it is expected that the three countries, including Japan, the United States and South Korea, will work closely together toward complete denuclearization.
In addition, U.S. officials have indicated that North Korea may launch long-range ballistic missiles and launch nuclear tests during President Biden's visit to South Korea and Japan, so discussions will be held based on the latest situation. Is expected to take place.
In addition, Prime Minister Kishida would like to seek and support the understanding and cooperation for the resolution of the abduction issue.
Korea
Given that the Japanese government is seeking to improve relations with President Yoon Suk-yeol, it will be interesting to see if President Biden, who has completed his visit to South Korea, has mentioned it.
Space policy
Prior to this summit meeting, the Government of Japan has put together a draft policy on space policy.
In this statement, with the activities of Russia and China in mind, "the threats and risks that hinder the sustainable and stable use of outer space are increasing more than ever."
In addition to strengthening the system for grasping the situation, such as launching a space situation monitoring satellite by 2026, and studying a "satellite constellation" in which a large number of small satellites cooperate with each other for missile defense, etc. In order to realize the rule of law in Japan and to secure space security and sustainable and stable use of outer space, we will work on rule making in cooperation with the United States and friendly countries, and whether such cooperation will deepen. Is also one of the focal points.
IPEF
In the economic field, President Biden explained the establishment of a new economic partnership "IPEF = Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" led by the United States, and Prime Minister Kishida is also making adjustments to convey his intention to participate.
While IPEF is expected to cooperate in strengthening the supply chain and investing in high-quality infrastructure, it is not currently targeted for tariff reductions like the TPP, and Prime Minister Kishida said to the United States on the TPP. We will continue to work on the return of.
Semiconductors and rare earths
Discussions were also held on semiconductors that are in short supply worldwide, and as competition for the development of semiconductors required for next-generation technologies such as AI = artificial intelligence intensifies, securing them and strengthening cooperation for research and development. Is expected to confirm.
In addition, it is expected that opinions will be exchanged on the existence of a stable supply of important resources, keeping in mind that China is strengthening the securing of important resources such as rare earths by national policy.
Climate change issues
The issue of climate change, which the Biden administration has positioned as an important issue, is also expected to be addressed.
While both the US and Japanese governments have set a goal of zero emissions as a whole by 2050, Japan will make effective use of safe nuclear reactors in order to reduce its dependence on Russia for energy. At the same time, the policy is to promote the introduction of renewable energy, and it is expected that discussions will be held on technical cooperation related to decarbonization at the meeting.
It also requires the cooperation of China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, so there may be controversy over its approach to China.
Past exchanges between Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden
Prime Minister Kishida has deepened his friendship with President Biden, who was the Vice President of the Obama administration at the time of the Foreign Minister, who served for more than four and a half years.
On the morning of October 5, last year, one night after his inauguration as Prime Minister, he had a telephone conversation with President Biden.
This was Prime Minister Kishida's first telephone conversation with a foreign leader.
The following November, at COP26, a UN conference on climate change countermeasures held in the United Kingdom, we had a short but face-to-face meeting.
Prime Minister Kishida aimed to visit the United States as soon as possible by establishing a place where he could meet as soon as possible, but adjustments were difficult due to the spread of the new corona infection and the political situation in the United States. ..
And this January, we talked online for about an hour.
We invited President Biden to Japan and confirmed the policy of holding a summit meeting of "Quad", a framework of four countries including Australia and India, in Japan in the first half.
In March, when I attended the summit meeting of the G7 = seven major countries held in Belgium over the situation in Ukraine, I had a short face-to-face meeting.
The face-to-face talks between Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden have been short so far, and this is the first full-scale meeting.
In the past Japan-US summit meeting, hospitality with elaborate taste
In order to build a personal relationship of trust between the leaders of both Japan and the United States, there have been occasions when the accepting party has been hospitable to entertain the other party.
▽ In 1983,
Prime Minister Nakasone invited President Reagan to a villa owned by Hinode-cho, Tokyo.
They called each other "Ron" and "Yasu" by their nicknames, and the appearance of Mr. Nakasone blowing conch shells became a hot topic.
▽ In 2006,
President Bush guided Prime Minister Koizumi to the mansion of American national singer Elvis Presley.
Mr. Koizumi, who is a big fan of Presley, wears sunglasses and shows off his performance.
I was impressed by the intimacy of the two leaders.
▽ Prime Minister Abe and President Trump have deepened their friendship through golf, which is a common hobby.
When President Trump visited Japan for the first time in November 2017, he enjoyed playing with Hideki Matsuyama.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department mobilizing 18,000 police officers to be on the alert
Before President Biden arrives in Japan on the 22nd, the Metropolitan Police Department has mobilized 18,000 police officers and is taking strict precautions, especially in places visited in Tokyo.
President Biden will arrive at Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo on the evening of the 22nd and will stay in Japan for two nights and three days.
In front of this, the Metropolitan Police Department has mobilized 18,000 people, which is the largest visit to Japan by the President of the United States, and is taking strict precautions mainly in places where a large number of people gather, such as visiting destinations and stations in Tokyo.
Of these, many police officers in uniforms were stationed in and around Shibuya Station to look around for suspicious objects.
During his stay, President Biden will meet with His Majesty the Emperor, meet with the US-Japan summit, and meet with the families of North Korean abductees.
And on the final day, the 24th, he will attend the framework of the four countries, including Japan and the United States, Australia and India, and the quad summit.
During his stay, traffic will be restricted on the Metropolitan Expressway and surrounding general roads as the president moves, and large-scale vehicle inspections will also be conducted.
The Metropolitan Police Department has decided to be on the highest level of caution, saying that it is coming to Japan amid rising international tensions due to the situation in Ukraine.