New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida got off to a quick start in the diplomatic arena on his first full day in office Tuesday, holding telephone talks with two of the three other leaders of "the Quad" and reaffirming Japan’s commitment to the grouping.

In Kishida’s talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, the White House said that Biden hoped to strengthen the alliance “given the critical role” the two countries play in advancing "a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad."

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue groups four major Indo-Pacific democracies — Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. In their first in-person summit late last month, the leaders of the four countries vowed to be "undaunted by coercion," presenting a united front amid shared concerns over growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.