During his official visit to the United States in April 2024, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to advance cooperation between Japan and the U.S. as global partners both at the Japan-U.S. Summit meeting and in his address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. At the Japan-U.S.-Philippines Summit, he also affirmed the further strengthening of trilateral cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
At a joint press conference following the Japan-U.S. Summit meeting, the two leaders indicated their intention to strengthen the bilateral partnership in various fields such as economic security and space.
U.S. President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the prime minister and Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko.
Prime Minister Kishida made an official visit to the United States from April 8 to 14, the first such trip there by a Japanese prime minister in nine years. In addition to attending both the Japan-U.S. Summit meeting and the Japan-U.S.-Philippines Summit, the prime minister addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress and had a luncheon meeting with U.S. business leaders. During these and other events in his busy schedule, the prime minister delivered an emphatic global message asserting the kind of world Japan and the United States, as global partners bound by a deep relationship of trust, should leave for the future and for the next generations to come.
On April 10, Prime Minister Kishida attended an arrival ceremony, followed by a Japan-U.S. Summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. The two leaders shared the recognition that division of the international society is deepening and facing an unprecedented level of challenges and the view to jointly uphold and bolster the free and open international order based on the rule of law. Prime Minister Kishida stated that with a strong determination he has been making efforts to reinforce Japan’s defense capabilities, including its plans to increase the budget for its defense capabilities and complementary initiatives to 2% of the GDP in Japanese fiscal 2027 in accordance with Japan’s National Security Strategy, as well as its decision to possess counterstrike capabilities. In response, President Biden reiterated his strong support for the prime minister’s initiatives. The two leaders shared the view to expand and deepen security and defense cooperation, including their upgrade of respective command and control frameworks in order to enhance interoperability between the U.S. forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
While exchanging views on regional issues, the two leaders reaffirmed that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion are totally unacceptable and that they will resolutely respond to them, in coordination with allies and like-minded countries. Regarding support for Ukraine, the two leaders shared the view that their countries will continue to closely cooperate with like-minded countries, including the G7 members.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will provide a manned pressurized rover for the crewed Artemis missions to the Moon by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Preparations are underway for the opportunity for Japanese astronauts to land on the Moon. TOYOTA
Manifesting the unwavering determination to uphold and bolster the free and open international order based on the rule of law, which is the basis of global peace and prosperity, the two leaders issued a Joint Leaders’ Statement titled “Global Partners for the Future” as a guideline of their determination. At the beginning of the joint press conference that followed their meeting, President Biden said, “Over the last three years, the partnership between Japan and the United States has been transformed into a truly global partnership.” Speaking on the historical turning point for the international community, Prime Minister Kishida stated, “I again conveyed to President Biden that now is the time for Japan and the United States to demonstrate their true value as global partners.” The two leaders thus emphasized the strong relationship between Japan and the U.S. (Full text: United States- Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement “Global Partners for the Future”)
On April 11, in his address entitled “For the Future: Our Global Partnership,” before a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his respect for the United States for shaping the international order in the postwar world. In his conclusion, the prime minister stated his belief that Japan and the United States “are essential to peace...vital to freedom...and fundamental to prosperity,” adding that Japan is “your global partner today, and we will be your global partner in the years ahead.” The address was attended by many members of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, who gave the prime minister warm applause and standing ovations from the floor on numerous occasions. (See below for an excerpt of the speech)
Prime Minister Kishida held a Summit meeting with U.S. President Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, where they agreed to strengthen cooperation in the areas of security and the economy.
That same day, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines convened their first trilateral Summit meeting. Cooperation among the three maritime nations in the Pacific Ocean is indispensable to bringing about peace, security, and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The three leaders discussed a concrete way forward on trilateral cooperation in various fields, mainly in security and the economy, to further strengthen trilateral cooperation. Prime Minister Kishida, President Biden, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos confirmed that the Japan-U.S. Alliance and the U.S.-Philippines Alliance have protected peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and that the three countries would oppose and resolutely respond to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The three leaders included in their Joint Vision Statement a commitment to conduct an at-sea trilateral exercise and other maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific within the next year.
Regarding economic security, the Luzon Economic Corridor will be launched under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), a G7-led framework that supports the building of infrastructure in developing countries, and the three countries will strengthen cooperation towards enhancing the resilience of supply chains for critical materials such as semiconductors and critical minerals. The three leaders also confirmed that they will seek to expand their partnership on safe and secure civil-nuclear capacity building for the sake of promoting clean energy. (Full text: Joint Vision Statement from the Leaders of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States)
After his visit to Washington, D.C., Prime Minister Kishida headed to North Carolina to visit a plant that Toyota Motor Corporation is building to produce automotive batteries. The plant, which is slated to become fully operational next year, will be a center for enhancing the company’s battery production capacity for electric and hybrid vehicles. Toyota has thus far invested 13.9 billion dollars in the plant, which the company expects to create more than 5,000 jobs. The prime minister also visited a plant operated by Honda Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., where he was briefed on plans for a business jet that the company will develop and manufacture. In the previous Japan-U.S. Summit meeting, the two countries had shared a recognition that facilitating private sector-led two-way investment is crucial to together lead global economic growth.
Japan and the United States have strengthened their alliance as global partners for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The latest official visit by Prime Minister Kishida has once again highlighted the strength of the two countries’ alliance. As President Biden said during the joint press conference, “And now, the U.S.-Japan alliance is a beacon to the entire world.” Japan is with the United States as the two countries continue their relentless efforts to ensure that their global partnership drives future peace and prosperity for generations to come.
