Japanese PM Kishida To Meet Biden On 13 Jan In US

The White House announced on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden will host Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on 13 January.

“President Biden looks forward to welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House on 13 January to strengthen ties between our governments, economies and people,” the White House said in a statement.

According to the statement, the two leaders will discuss climate change solutions as well as security issues surrounding North Korea, China, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

According to the White House, Biden will renew his support for Japan's G7 presidency and mandate as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Kishida warned during a meeting with Biden in Japan last summer that China's desire to retake Taiwan could spark a new conflict. “Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow,” said the Japanese leader.

Last month, Japan’s government approved a major defence policy overhaul, including a significant increase in spending, warning that China poses the “greatest strategic challenge ever” to its security.

In its most significant defence reorganisation in decades, Japan pledged to increase security spending to 2 per cent of GDP by 2027, restructure its military command and acquire new missiles capable of striking far-flung enemy launch sites.