President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are set to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, at the White House in April for an official state visit and state dinner, as announced by the White House. The visit aims to emphasize the enduring strength of the alliance partnership, highlighting the U.S. commitment to Japan and Japan’s increasing global leadership role.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that discussions between Biden and Kishida will focus on efforts to strengthen political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties. The goal is to position the alliance to address evolving challenges and advance a shared vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world. The leaders previously met one-on-one during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November.
The upcoming state dinner in April will be the fifth of the Biden administration, offering an opportunity for diplomatic engagement with meticulous attention to detail. Previous state dinners included leaders such as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and South Korea’s Yoon.
The visit underscores the administration’s commitment to engaging with Indo-Pacific nations as part of efforts to counter China’s influence in the region. Biden, having visited Japan twice as president, emphasized close U.S.-Japan relations during his May visit in the context of China’s growing military and economic ambitions and Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Biden’s previous presidential visit to Asia in 2022 involved meetings with Kishida and leaders of India and Australia. The occasion was used to convey a message to China, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that the U.S. would be willing to respond militarily if China invaded Taiwan.
