It was reported by CNN on Thursday that President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida for an upcoming state dinner and visit in April.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a meeting of the Reproductive Health Task Force at the White House on January 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden met with the task force to discuss reproductive health and to mark the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
The Purpose Of The Dinner
In a statement to the press, White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said "The visit will underscore the enduring strength of our alliance partnership, the unwavering U.S. commitment to Japan, and Japan's increasing global leadership role." Pierre said that the overall purpose of this meeting is to discuss "efforts to strengthen our political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties so that our alliance is postured to address evolving challenges and advance our shared vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world."
This meeting follows a previous one-on-one meeting between the two leaders. This was back in November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit which was in San Francisco. The National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, also had some positive words "This will obviously underscore the importance of our alliance with Japan and our bilateral relationship, and also all the work we're doing together to improve and strengthen, not only our bilateral cooperation but our cooperation with Japan and other allies across the Indo-Pacific, really trying to pursue a safe and secure, prosperous Indo Pacific".
The dinner in April will be the fifth one of the Biden Administration. The Administration had recently hosted the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, to discuss the ongoing concerns regarding the Middle East. Biden also hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modie back in June last year as tensions between the US and China continue to grow and as India has recently surpassed China as the most heavily settled territory on Earth.
The Biden Administration certainly seems to have its hands full but that does not seem to be slowing the President down as he's also been moving along his re-election campaign trail on top of hosting state dinners throughout his presidency.
