Tokyo and Washington are politically and economically simpatico — that is the message Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden are touting as both leaders emphasize the allies’ sturdy economic links and need for collaboration, particularly around essential capabilities like AI and semiconductors.
Kishida, who is currently in the U.S. and is set to address Congress, has worked closely with Biden to enhance the Japan-U.S. alliance, with the countries labeling their bilateral ties a “global partnership.”
Indeed, the not so subtle subtext of the trip is that the U.S. and Japan are unified against China’s increasing assertiveness in the region and seeking to mitigate geopolitical fallout from supply chain concerns linked to Beijing and its alleged economic coercion.