Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, received with honors at the White House, announced on Wednesday closer cooperation in defense matters, to further strengthen a relationship described as “flourishing”.
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The American president, during a press conference alongside his guest, welcomed “the most important development” in the partnership of the two countries since the end of the Cold War.
Adversaries during the Second World War, the American and Japanese armies will therefore work together for more “interoperability”, while the United States undertakes to support certain Japanese military projects, on a material and technological level.
“For the first time, Japan, the United States and Australia will create an air missile network and a defense architecture,” Joe Biden also said, also announcing future joint military exercises between Japanese forces, American and British.
Without forgetting the holding, Thursday in Washington, of the first trilateral summit between Japan, the Philippines, and the United States.
So many countries which, with South Korea, constitute the network of alliances that Joe Biden is weaving in Asia, in order to counter Chinese ambitions.
The 81-year-old democrat, who at the same time strives to maintain dialogue with Beijing, nevertheless stressed on Wednesday, obviously for the benefit of the Chinese authorities, that the strengthening of the military alliance with Tokyo was “purely defensive” .
Japan, where some 54,000 American soldiers are based, fundamentally revised its national security doctrine at the end of 2022, in particular to equip itself with a “counter-attack” capacity, despite its pacifist Constitution.
During the joint press conference, the Japanese Prime Minister called for “peace and stability” against a backdrop of tensions between China and Taiwan.
Moon and cherry trees
In another sign of rapprochement, Joe Biden also promised that a Japanese astronaut would be the first non-American to land on the Moon, as part of an American space mission.
Receiving his host with military honors in the morning, Joe Biden hailed a “visionary and courageous” leader and praised an “indestructible” alliance, and as “flourishing” as cherry trees in spring.
In 1912, the mayor of Tokyo gave the city of Washington several thousand cherry trees, the flowering of which brings tourists to the American capital every year.
Fumio Kishida followed suit, indicating that his country would offer 250 additional trees on the occasion of the 280th anniversary of the founding of the United States, in 2026.
The two leaders will be joined in the evening by their wives, Jill Biden and Yuko Kishida, for a gala dinner.
The 66-year-old Prime Minister is the first Japanese leader to receive the honors of a state visit to Washington since Shinzo Abe in 2015.
For the evening, the White House will be adorned – obviously – with branches of cherry blossoms, and musician Paul Simon, from the legendary folk duo Simon and Garfunkel, will provide musical entertainment.
On Thursday, Fumio Kishida must address both houses of the American Congress before being received again by Joe Biden, alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (son and namesake of the former dictator).
