US President meets Japanese Prime Minister ahead of G7 summit

US President Joe Biden (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before talks on May 18 in Hiroshima, Japan.

According to The Japan Times , US President Joe Biden arrived in Japan on May 18 to prepare for the G7 summit in Hiroshima from May 19-21. Before the conference, Mr. Biden held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

At the meeting, the two leaders praised the "development" of the two countries' alliance while facing geopolitical challenges together.

"The bottom line is that when our two countries stand together, we stand stronger and I believe the world is safer when we do," Biden said before the meeting.

The US leader noted Tokyo's strong response to an increasingly complex regional security environment. President Biden also said he was "proud" of the two allies' willingness to "stand up" for shared values.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kishida called the two countries' alliance "the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific," an expression often used to describe bilateral relations when they are at their peak.

A senior Japanese government official said the two leaders discussed a range of issues, from defense and security coordination and a joint response to the conflict in Ukraine to the thaw in Japan-South Korea relations.

President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida reiterated the importance of “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait and a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

Mr. Biden also praised Mr. Kishida's moves to help repair bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea, The Japan Times quoted a senior Japanese official as saying.

During the talks, the two leaders reaffirmed their continued support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia's military campaign. The conflict in Ukraine will also top the agenda at the G7 summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate in a session at the summit via video call.

Economic security cooperation was also a topic of discussion between Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida. The two countries pledged to work closely to diversify supply chains for important goods.

However, The Japan Times quoted senior Japanese officials as saying that no specific country was mentioned in bilateral talks between the US and Japan.

President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida also agreed to strengthen cooperation in other important areas such as quantum technology, biotechnology, energy and startup technology.

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