President Joe Biden praised Japan’s unprecedented defense overhaul in a joint statement issued after a summit Friday with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House.
(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden praised Japan’s unprecedented defense overhaul in a joint statement issued after a summit Friday with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House.
“President Biden commended Japan’s bold leadership in fundamentally reinforcing its defense capabilities and strengthening diplomatic efforts,” according to the statement. The need for such steps stemmed from “actions inconsistent with the rules-based international order by China” and “provocations by North Korea,” the two leaders added.
Japan’s defense buildup calls for a 60% increase in spending over five years and the acquisition of missiles capable of striking neighboring countries including China.
Kishida came seeking a public reaffirmation from Biden at their meeting that the two countries’ security policies are aligned, after criticism from China, which Japan describes as an “unprecedented” challenge in new strategy documents issued last month.
The leaders also reaffirmed the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait and said they would work together on protection and promotion of critical technologies including semiconductors, without giving details.
The US rolled out sweeping measures in October to limit the sale of advanced semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China, which the Biden administration said are intended to limit the Chinese military’s access to — and development of —advanced technology.
The premier’s visit marks the culmination of a whirlwind tour that has taken him to most of the Group of Seven countries to prepare for Japan’s hosting of the body’s summit in May.
Neighbors Uneasy
Last month Japan announced a radical upgrade of its security policy. The new strategy from the long-pacifist nation has raised hackles in some parts of Asia, where memories of its 20th century aggression linger.
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, another key US ally, questioned Wednesday how Japan’s defense overhaul was compatible with its pacifist constitution, Yonhap News Agency reported. He acknowledged the move would be hard to stop, given North Korea’s frequent firing of missiles, including over Japanese territory.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the Biden-Kishida meeting before it happened, but denounced a joint statement signed by US and Japanese ministers earlier in the week as “full of groundless smears against China.”
“While claiming to promote regional peace and stability, the US and Japan are in fact finding pretext for their military buildup,” Wang told a regular news briefing Friday in Beijing.
North Korea, which has fired scores of missiles close to Japan over the past year, last month accused Kishida of seeking to turn his country into an “offensive military giant.” Japan’s planned defense spending increases could rank its military budget third globally, behind only the US and China, compared with ninth now.
Japan’s bolder security policies have already been applauded by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a meeting with their Japanese counterparts Wednesday in Washington.
Appearing with Biden may also help bolster Kishida’s support at home, which has been sagging over a series of scandals.
His visit comes just ahead of a new parliamentary session in Japan, at which opposition parties have vowed to grill the government over how they plan to pay for the defense expansion, setting the stage for months of wrangling.
Polls show most voters in the heavily indebted country are in favor of expanding the defense budget, but are opposed to the idea of a tax hike to help cover the costs.
“The president realizes it takes leadership to do this,” US Ambassador to Tokyo Rahm Emanuel said of Japan’s defense plans. “The prime minister has shown that leadership, and the president wants to make sure you build off that momentum.”
–With assistance from Lucille Liu.
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