Kishida Plans State Visit to US

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making an official visit to the United States in April. He plans to visit Washington, DC, to have a meeting with President Joe Biden and give a speech at the Capitol Hill. In the meeting with Biden, Kishida is going to reconfirm closer relationship with US than ever, agreeing on further coordination of command and control in security operations. For Kishida, the achievements in his trip to US may affect the fortune of his administration, which support from the public has been showing historical low with the slush fund scandal in his Liberal Democratic Party.

It will be the first opportunity since 2015 for Japanese prime minister to make a visit to US as a state guest. Kishida is going to have a meeting with Biden on April 10, followed by the state dinner. The two leaders will have a trilateral summit meeting joined by the President of Philippine, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the next day. Kishida will also give a speech in a joint session of the US Congress. Kishida plans to visit North Carolina, where a Japanese carmaker is building a new factory.


In the meeting with Biden, Kishida hopes to deepen the bilateral relationship with US and show firmness of Japan-US alliance to the world. Asahi Shimbun reported that both leaders will agree on coordinating command and control of Japanese Self-defense Force with US Force. US is going to enhance the role of US Forces in Japan, considering frequent visits of the Commander of US Pacific Fleet, stationed in Hawaii, to Japan.


US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, visited Japan in March and told Japanese reporters that the leaders of both countries would reach an important agreement in the meeting in April. “US Force in Japan will take necessary measures to integrate itself with Japanese efforts,” said Campbell.


Campbell explained that the agreement would urge Japan enhancing its own capability and take further responsibility for its self-defense. US Force in Japan currently does not have an authority to commanding operation in a contingency, which is belonging to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.


It was reported that US was considering giving US Commander in Japan a commanding authority in some operations or exercises, and raising the rank of the commander in Japan from Lieutenant General to General. Details will be discussed in the security consultative committee, or two-plus-two, planned in late May.


It was also reported that Campbell revealed a possibility of Japan to promote technological cooperation with US, United Kingdom and Australia, or AUKUS. It is expected that Japan will join the development in cyber or robot engineering, even not in nuclear submarine. “In the situation that the basis of international order is shaken and regional security faces severe reality, the efforts of AUKUS contributes to peace and stability,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi.


Recognizing deteriorated regional security brought by China or North Korea, Kishida hopes to enhance the trilateral framework with US and Philippine in the summit meeting in Washington, DC. As Campbell told “the political, geographical and strategic importance of Philippine,” Japan and US regard the framework as one of the important pillars of regional cooperation, as well as QUAD with India, Australia and ROK, or Japan-US-ROK relationship.

 

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