The Japanese government said on Friday that its Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga will hold face-to-face talks with US President, Joe Biden in Washington on April 16.
According to local media, the trip would hold next week, but top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said the mid-April date would give both sides time to prepare.
The trip comes at a time of renewed focus on China’s role in the region, as well as its alleged abuses of the Uyghur minority and its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.
“We had been coordinating for early April, and a final decision was made that the date will be April 16, to allow us to prepare to make sure the prime minister’s US visit is successful,” Kato said.
The talks follow a visit by the Pentagon chief and top US diplomat to Japan in March when the two countries warned China against “coercion and destabilising behaviour”.
Kato said Suga’s trip would be an opportunity to discuss “strengthening the Japan-US alliance” and issues that border on the coronavirus and climate change.
On the agenda will also likely to be matters related to China and North Korea, Kato added. Last week, North Korea carried out missile tests in its first substantive provocation since Biden took office.
Suga, 72, became prime minister last September following the resignation of his predecessor Shinzo Abe due to health reasons.
He has had his first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in preparation for the US trip, although Japan is not expected to begin mass jabs for weeks.
Suga will also reportedly use the trip to invite Biden to the Tokyo Olympics, due to begin on July 23 after a year’s pandemic delay.
Tagged as: USA, Joe Biden, Japan, Yoshihide Suga, Face-To-Face Talks.
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