By Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to the moon landing on Wednesday, strengthening their alliance with the aim of countering China and Russia.
A joint news conference at the White House reflected Japan’s growing importance on the world stage and to the United States, as the two leaders spoke out on Gaza and Israel, Ukraine and Russia, North Korea and other global flashpoints.
Biden and Kishida dismissed a dispute over Nippon Steel’s bid for US Steel, saying the issue was not a major factor in their discussions in a day of White House pomp and pageantry that culminated in a lavish state dinner.
“This is the most significant update to our alliance since it was established,” Biden said after about two hours of talks focused on the restive Indo-Pacific region and China’s actions.
The United States and its allies, including Japan, have strengthened their military to counter what they see as a growing threat from China in the South China Sea and East China Sea, and to deter any attempt to seize Taiwan, a self-governing nation. An island that Beijing considers its own.
Kishida said the two leaders discussed the tense relations between Taiwan and China and pledged to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently said that outside interference cannot stop the island’s “family reunion” with mainland China.
“Unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion are absolutely unacceptable, wherever they may be,” Kishida said. The United States and Japan will continue to respond to such actions, including challenges from China, he said.
“As for Russian aggression on Ukraine…Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida said.
Biden also promised to keep lines of communication with China open and said the US-Japan alliance is defensive in nature. Last week he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
JOINT MILITARY STRUCTURE
Biden and Kishida’s announcements brought the two World War II foes into the closest cooperation they have had since they became allies decades ago.
Biden said their militaries would cooperate under a joint command structure and, together with Australia, develop a new air missile defense network. The two leaders also announced that Japanese astronauts will participate in NASA’s lunar missions.
Overall, the United States and Japan have entered into about 70 defense cooperation agreements, including initiatives to upgrade the U.S. military command structure in Japan to make it more capable of working with Japanese forces in a crisis.
Japan, often described as the United States’ most important Asian ally and its largest source of foreign direct investment, is taking on an enhanced global role after a series of security law changes over the past decade that have transformed its constitution pacifist.
Kishida will address the US Congress on Thursday and join Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a meeting expected to focus on Beijing’s incursions in the South China Sea.
The meeting took place as China increases pressure on the Philippines in the South China Sea over areas claimed by Beijing but which under international law belong to the Philippines.
China is trying to isolate Japan and the Philippines, a US official said. By meeting with the leaders of those two nations this week in Washington, Biden aims to “flip the script and isolate China.”
Fitch cut its outlook on China’s sovereign credit rating to negative on Wednesday, citing risks to public finances as the economy faces growing uncertainty as it transitions to new growth models.
Biden will also have a bilateral meeting on Thursday with Marcos, whom he welcomed to Washington just last year, before the two joined Kishida for a trilateral summit.
The visit could give a political boost to Kishida, whose popularity at home has waned.
He was welcomed with great fanfare, with Japanese flags displayed throughout Washington before the lavish state dinner at which guests included former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Robert De Niro, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:)’s Jeff Bezos and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Musician Paul Simon provided the post-dinner entertainment, opening his set with a performance of “Graceland.”
Overshadowing the visit is controversy over the planned $15 billion acquisition of American steelmaker US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, a deal that some say is “on life support” after criticism from Biden and the former President Donald Trump, his rival in the November US elections.
Kishida, asked about the agreement, said he hoped discussions about it would bear fruit.
“We want to solidify this win-win relationship,” he said.
Biden said he remains committed to union workers on the issue.
Also looming are Japanese concerns that, if Trump wins a second term, he might seek a deal with China that could destabilize the region.