When the leaders of Japan, South Korea and the U.S. meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima this weekend, it will be a prime opportunity for the three to showcase how much ties have improved in just under a year.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will host U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol for the trilateral meeting in the atomic-bombed city, with the three set to discuss further boosting ties in response to nuclear-armed North Korea and rising Chinese assertiveness.
For Kishida — who has seen a recent bump in his approval rating — the meeting will be a chance to highlight Japan’s unwavering commitment to its alliance with the U.S. as well as his attempt at repairing Tokyo’s relationship with its closest neighbor after years of frayed ties.