The United States had sounded out Japan shortly after their leaders met in mid-April about another U.S. visit by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for a three-way meeting also involving their South Korean counterpart, sources familiar with Japan-U.S. relations said Thursday.
But the plan was dropped over South Korean concerns that a meeting among Suga, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in would steal the limelight from a summit between Biden and Moon if held on the same occasion, the sources said.
The U.S.-South Korea summit was held at the White House on May 21, five weeks after Suga met with Biden as the first foreign leader to be invited there for talks since the president took office in January.