United States President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday and has agreed to work on a military build-up amid China's growing global influence.
The two leaders seek to transform the Asian nation into a potent military power that would assist in efforts to counterbalance Beijing. Biden and Kishida also agreed to bolster their countries' alliance to become a linchpin for their security interests in Asia.
Biden Meets With Kishida
During their meeting in the White House Oval Office, Biden said that they sought to modernize their military alliance, building on Japan's historic increase in defense spending and new national security strategy. The Democrat also said that the US is fully, thoroughly, and completely committed to the alliance.
The meeting with Biden is Kishida's first trip to Washington since becoming Japan's prime minister in October 2021. The talks came a month after the Japanese lawmaker's government announced plans to strengthen the country's military capabilities and significantly increase military spending, as per the New York Times.
The decision to increase military spending was prompted by China's rising international power and North Korea's repeated missile tests. Japanese authorities were infuriated with Beijing's lobbing of missiles around Taiwan last August. Five of the projectiles landed in Japanese waters, which is the first time that such a situation had occurred.
Japan has grown increasingly anxious due to increased maritime activity conducted by the Chinese military in the East China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands. The latter is a disputed territory between the two Asian governments.
In a statement, Kishida said that his administration decided to take major steps with the aim of "fundamentally reinforcing our defense capabilities." This includes an increase in military spending and growing Japan's missile strike capabilities. Kishida said that the efforts would be beneficial for the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance as well.
Strengthen Security
Biden hailed the meeting with Kishida as a "remarkable moment" for the US-Japan alliance. The Democrat said that there was never a time that the two nations have been closer to each other, according to Yahoo News.
Prior to Kishida's trip to the US, Japanese authorities agreed on Wednesday to upgrade their security cooperation. They have opted to equip Tokyo with long-range missiles and refitted a US Marine unit in Japan to confront Beijing's military build-up in the region.
A senior fellow who studies US defense strategy in Asia at the American Enterprise Institute, Zachary Cooper, said that Japan was doubling down on both itself and the United States. He added that Tokyo was building more independent capabilities while deepening its relations with the US.
The Japanese prime minister's trip to Washington is his last stop in a tour of the G7 industrial powers. He also thanked his American counterpart for the work on regional security and added that the two nations are currently facing the most challenging and complex security environment in recent history. Kishida noted that Tokyo's new defense strategy that was released last month sought to ensure peace and prosperity in the region, said Inquirer.