Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden on Thursday reconfirmed their continued cooperation for further strengthening deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
During their talks in Hiroshima, western Japan, ahead of the three-day summit of the Group of Seven (G-7) major democracies from Friday, Kishida and Biden also reaffirmed the critical role that US extended deterrence plays in ensuring the security of Japan as well as the peace and stability of the region, coupled with Japan's enhanced defense capabilities, the ministry said in a press release.
"The Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. And our multilayered cooperation is not limited to security and economy, but to all fields," Kishida was quoted as telling Biden at the outset of the summit. In response, Biden said Japan and the US share fundamental values, and that this alliance is stronger than ever, according to the ministry.
The two leaders commended the robust and in-depth consultations on US extended deterrence at the latest Japan-US Consultative Committee, known as "2+2" security talks, and Extended Deterrence Dialogue meetings, reaffirming the importance of further strengthening such consultations.
In addition, Kishida and Biden discussed regional issues, on the basis of the recognition that any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in East Asia, must not be tolerated. The two agreed on continuing to work closely together in addressing issues related to China, while confirming the importance of cooperating with China on shared challenges, according to the document.
Furthermore, Kishida and Biden reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
Regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, they pledged continuing severe sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine in close coordination with the G-7 and other like-minded countries.
The two leaders shared the importance of promoting and protecting critical technologies, and welcomed a planned signing of partnerships between Japanese and US universities and companies in the area of quantum and semiconductor and concurred on expanding cooperation into the areas of biotechnology and the AI.
Kishida, who will chair the G-7 summit, also said, "At the summit, I'd like to demonstrate the G-7 countries' unwavering will to protect international order based on the rule of law, which Japan and the US have been upholding." The G-7 consists of Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the US.
Biden arrived in Hiroshima earlier in the day.
Source: Kuwait News Agency