Prime Minister Fumio Kishida kicked off a state visit to Washington on Tuesday, a day before he was to hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on a "historic" upgrade to defense ties as the allies look to counter China’s growing assertiveness.
The visit, which will include all the trimmings — from a welcome by a military honor guard to a swanky gala banquet — will be the culmination of years of deepening cooperation under Biden and Kishida that have taken the relationship to new heights.
On Wednesday, the two leaders are expected to push ties even higher by announcing plans to revamp the U.S. military’s command in Japan to help strengthen operational planning with the Self-Defense Forces, as concerns rise over China’s military moves around democratic Taiwan and nuclear-armed North Korea’s increasingly belligerent saber-rattling.