TOKYO: US President Joe Biden arrived in Japan on Sunday afternoon, visiting the Asian country for the first time as president to hold talks with Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and attend a meeting of Quad leaders.

The president, after visiting South Korea from Friday, flew to the US military’s Yokota base in western Tokyo aboard Air Force One.

During Monday’s Japan-US summit, Kishida is expected to tell Biden that Japan plans to boost its defense expenditures in response to the increasingly severe security environment in East Asia. The two leaders are likely to affirm the importance of extended deterrence backed by the US nuclear umbrella and agree to strengthen the Japan-US alliance.

Also, Kishida and Biden are expected to share a determination not to tolerate unilateral attempts to change the status quo in any part of the world, apparently having in mind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s maritime expansion in the East and South China seas and the situation surrounding Taiwan.

In addition, they are projected to affirm that Japan, the United States and South Korea will cooperate in responding to North Korea’s accelerated nuclear and missile development. Biden is expected to urge Kishida to work on improving Japan’s soured relations with South Korea.

After the talks with Kishida, Biden will host a meeting in Tokyo to announce the launch of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, clarifying the strengthening of the United States’ involvement in Asia on the economic front, including in areas of supply chains and trade.

The summit of the Quad countries of Japan, the United States, Australia and India will be held in the Japanese capital on Tuesday.

To be joining Kishida and Biden are Anthony Albanese, who is set to become Australia’s prime minister after his Labor Party secured a victory in Saturday’s general election, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Quad leaders are expected to have discussions on the Ukrainian crisis and ways to promote cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

JIJI Press