China and U.S.-Japan alliance to take top billing as senior Biden officials visit Tokyo

After four turbulent years of Donald Trump’s “America First,” officials in Japan will be hoping for a strong commitment to the alliance — and clarity of the United States’ vision for the region — during a visit to Tokyo by U.S. President Joe Biden’s top diplomat and defense chief.

But while the U.S. officials won’t be offering up a complete strategy for the Indo-Pacific just yet, both parties will use the meeting to set the agenda for the alliance, making abundantly clear the shifting U.S. and Japanese perceptions of China.

At the first “two-plus-two” meeting of the countries’ top diplomats and defense chiefs since 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold talks with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Tuesday. The four will tackle a variety of issues, including bolstering the alliance, reining in nuclear-armed North Korea, dealing with the coup in Myanmar, as well as the response to the coronavirus pandemic.