The new Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida spoke with US President Joe Biden to discuss the rising regional tensions due to a belligerent China and North Korean missile tests.
Kishida, who took over as the Prime Minister on Monday, said that he has received "strong words of commitment" from Biden about protecting the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea (ECS). The islands lie close to Taiwan and have been a bone of contention between Beijing and Tokyo.
China has increased its air and maritime activity in the entire region thereby threatening Japan, Taiwan and multiple South-East Asian countries around the South China Sea (SCS).
Japanese wire service Koyodo quotes Kishida as saying that the US President is strongly committed "to the defense of Japan, including the application of Article 5 of the Japan-US security treaty to the Senkakus". Under Article 5, the US will defend Japanese territories from armed attack.
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Considered to be hawkish regarding China, Kishida supports stronger Japan-US security ties and partnerships with like-minded democracies to counter China and North Korea–both nuclear powers. Amidst worries in Japan, Kishida has pledged to bolster Japan’s missile and naval defence capabilities.
Kishida said that Japan needs to hold dialogue with China, which remains an important trade partner, and simultaneously added that “we must speak up” against China’s attempt to change the status quo in the ECS and SCS.
This was Kishida's first talks as prime minister with Biden. The two decided to alleviate the US-Japanese bilateral relationship to higher levels as well as reiterated their commitment to ensuring that the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open against China's hegemony.
Kishida had earlier spoken with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison about enhancing security and economic ties. They also discussed strengthening the four-member Quadrilateral grouping–that has the US and India as members–to promote regional peace and counterbalance China.
In his talks with Morrison, the Japanese Prime Minister lent his support to the three-nation military partnership between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS) that will provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
