Meeting Between Biden, Kishida to Focus on Boosting Security Cooperation

President Biden will meet at the White House on Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the U.S. and Japan increase security cooperation to counter China’s military buildup.

U.S. officials said the meeting between the two leaders will follow up on meetings in Washington earlier this week between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Japanese counterparts. Following that meeting, the two countries announced plans to protect Japanese satellites, equip Tokyo with long-range missiles and upgrade U.S. Marine forces in the country. 

Mr. Kishida’s priority in Washington will be touting the defense plan he released in December, which includes a boost in spending and purchases of U.S. weapons such as Tomahawk missiles. 

He says the plan shows Japan is stepping up to play a central role in its own defense and filling holes left by years of what he calls underinvestment in the military.

“There are many fighter planes and transport aircraft that can’t move because we don’t have sufficient parts,” Mr. Kishida said last month. “Also, we haven’t invested enough to date in areas that are said to be potential game-changers, such as defense capabilities using unmanned assets.”