The government has given up on its plan to have U.S. President Joe Biden visit Japan this month due to the crisis in Ukraine and is now planning for him to visit in late May, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
During a brief conversation last month in Belgium on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida proposed Biden visit Japan for the first time as president in late April.
Tokyo wants to arrange Kishida-Biden talks when it hosts a summit of "the Quad" group, which also includes Australia and India. The Quad leaders have agreed to meet in Tokyo by the end of June.
The U.S. initially sounded out Japan about Biden visiting in late May, according to the Japanese and U.S. diplomatic sources. It later showed reluctance to accept Kishida's April proposal as the war in Ukraine has filled up Biden's schedule.
In Australia, a general election is to be held by May, adding to uncertainty over the timing for the Quad summit.
When Biden visits Japan, he may also travel to South Korea, another U.S. ally in Asia, observers say. South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is set to be sworn in on May 10.
The envisaged Quad summit would be an opportunity for the four democracies to deepen cooperation in the economic and security fields in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's clout has been increasing.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also raised concern about its ramifications for the region. Quad unity will likely come into focus as India also has close ties with Russia.