Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday agreed in their first in-person talks to enhance the bilateral alliance and closely cooperate toward a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" amid China's assertiveness in the region.
Kishida also agreed to forge closer ties with his counterparts from Britain, Australia and Vietnam on the sidelines of the U.N. climate summit, all three countries which Tokyo views as key partners in advancing a free and open region.
The flurry of diplomatic activity took place during Kishida's brief first foreign trip as the Japanese leader. He departed following Sunday's general election in which his governing coalition won a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives.