U.S. President Joe Biden holds a tripartite meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol November 13, 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to strengthen the alliance between the two countries during a meeting on Sunday, amid shared concerns over rising geopolitical tensions.
The two countries met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, repeated missile launches by North Korea and tensions in the South and East China Seas, a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry said. Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We agreed to strengthen the deterrence and effectiveness of the Japan-U.S. alliance amid growing challenges to regional security,” Kishida told reporters after the meeting.
“We reaffirmed that any unilateral attempt to forcefully change the status quo is unacceptable, and that Russia’s nuclear threat is unacceptable,” he added.
Kishida and Biden also headed to Bali, Indonesia, to attend the G20 (G-20 ) attended the summit.
Japan and the United States also share concerns about the increasing aggression of the Chinese regime. Earlier, Biden told Asian leaders that US lines of communication with China would remain open to prevent conflict. He is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali on Monday for the first time since becoming a US leader.
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