Biden to visit Japan for in-person summit with Quad leaders

U.S. President Joe Biden makes remarks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors 90th Winter Meeting in Washington, Jan. 21. Reuters-Yonhap

<table class="tinymce_table" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0 10px; border-collapse: collapse; width: 100px;" border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://www.scmp.com/frontpage/international" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/newsV2/images/SCMP_logo_w100(0).jpg?1" alt=" U.S. President Joe Biden makes remarks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors 90th Winter Meeting in Washington, Jan. 21. Reuters-Yonhap " width="100" height="100" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table> U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Japan this spring for an in-person summit with Quad alliance members, the White House said after Biden spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Friday.

Details on the timing of the meeting of the Quad ― a regional security alliance comprised of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India ― have yet to be worked out, with arrangements dependent on the spread of COVID-19.

The virtual meeting will feature wide-ranging discussions on the U.S.-Japanese military alliance, tension in the Taiwan Strait and China's growing nuclear arsenal, a senior administration official said.

The two leaders also agreed to a new "2+2" forum aimed at strengthening economic cooperation ― especially technology and supply chain issues ― between the two nations and across the region.

"The close alignment between the United States and Japan was really on full display ― so, very broad discussion on security, on views about the challenges in the Indo Pacific," including "very in-depth discussions" on China, the administration official said.

These included shared concerns about "some of the steps that China had taken across the board in terms of intimidating neighbors, taking steps that were predatory trade in other realms," he added. "Prime Minister Kishida was particularly concerned about the nuclear build-up in China and what that augured for regional security."

Nuclear containment is an issue of particular urgency for Japan ― the only nation to suffer nuclear attacks ― and for Kishida, who is from Hiroshima.

The U.S. Defence Department estimates that China has some 350 deliverable nuclear warheads, a figure that could double by 2027 and triple by 2030. While these are a fraction of the estimated 6,200 warheads Russia has, and the 5,600 under U.S. control, according to the Federation of American Scientists, Beijing has balked at joining nuclear arms control agreements.

On Thursday, a joint U.S.-Japan statement called on Beijing to reduce nuclear risks, increase transparency and seek further disarmament. On Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian criticized the statement, accusing Washington of clinging to a "Cold War mentality" and Tokyo of hypocrisy for stockpiling weapons-grade plutonium.

"It is nothing but a trick to deflect attention, shift responsibility and conceal their deplorable track record in the nuclear sector," Zhao added.

Friday's 90-minute meeting ― beamed into the White House Situation Room, with top security, diplomatic and trade officials on both sides in attendance ― saw the two sides resolve to counter China's bid to "change the status quo" in the East and South China seas, maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait and condemn North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches, the White House said.

In response to mounting security challenges, Kishida pledged Friday to boost Japanese military spending, now around $47 billion, by 8 percent.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his official residence in Tokyo talks in a virtual meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, shown in the monitor, Jan. 21. AP-Yonhap

On other fronts, the two nations agreed to cooperate on energy security; fighting climate change; easing the semiconductor shortage; building regional infrastructure; and distributing some 1 billion vaccine doses globally in 2022.

This was the second, and more substantive, meeting since Kishida became prime minister in October. Biden and Kishida spoke briefly on the sidelines of the COP26 global summit in Scotland in November.

Friday's meeting unfolded as Japan becomes an increasingly vital partner in U.S. efforts to check China's muscle-flexing.

In a speech Monday at the opening of his nation's parliament, Kishida called the U.S. alliance "the linchpin of Japan's diplomatic and security policies."

While traditionally wary of confronting China, analysts said that Japan has become more increasingly explicit in its support for Washington on issues related to Taiwan and Beijing's expanding political, military and economic footprint ― a "pacing challenge" in military circles.

"The administration talks a lot about China as the pacing challenge, and Japan has been the pacing ally," said Zack Cooper, formerly with the Pentagon and now a fellow with the American Enterprise Institute. "Over the past, maybe two years, you've seen Japanese leaders being far more vocal on Taiwan."

"Part of what's happening, many in Japan are noticing, if there was a conflict in the Taiwan Strait and the U.S. was involved, it would be very difficult for Japan to avoid getting involved ― not that the U.S. would necessarily force Japan into it, but there's a high likelihood that China would target U.S. bases in Japan."

Washington and Tokyo closely agree on most issues, but there are differences over trade, U.S. military bases and, to a lesser extent, North Korea, analysts said.

Tokyo continues to bridle over 25 percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Japanese iron and steel exports to the U.S. A senior official said Friday that Biden hopes negotiations over these issues will be "concluded rapidly."

The Japanese public has also grown concerned in recent weeks that the 55,000 U.S. troops based on the archipelago could fuel the spread of Covid-19, particularly on the southern island of Okinawa where three-quarters of them are deployed.

Regarding North Korea, analysts said, many in Washington ― already juggling Russia's threat to invade Ukraine, tense nuclear talks with Iran and strained relations with Beijing ― view Pyongyang as a secondary risk.

"The administration doesn't think it can make a lot of progress," Cooper said. "It doesn't want to spend a lot of energy on things it can't do much better on."

Japan, close to North Korea and the victim of kidnappings and missiles launched over its main island of Honshu, sees the threat in more existential terms.

More North Korean missile launches could energize a domestic debate in Japan over the deployment of U.S.-supplied Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense systems ― a debate Beijing is likely to watch closely.

Kishida called for a more hawkish military posture on his campaign trail, including consideration of a missile strike capability against potential foes.

Japan has also been instrumental in strengthening the Quad, earning Washington's appreciation, with a focus on bolstering ties with India and Australia. India and Japan celebrate their 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year; earlier this month, Tokyo and Canberra signed a deal making it easier to conduct joint military exercises.

"President Biden applauded Japan and Australia's signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement that will enable closer trilateral defense cooperation," the White House said after the meeting. "The US-Japan Alliance has never been stronger or more necessary."