Biden to honor PM Kishida, reflect on Japan’s growing clout on international stage

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday for talks on the delicate security situation in the Pacific and a glitzy state dinner, honoring a leader who has proven to be one of Biden’s strongest allies in the face of a string of international crises.

Kishida’s official visit completes the administration’s feting of the leaders of the Quad, the informal partnership between the U.S., Japan, Australia and India that the White House has focused on elevating since Biden took office. As Biden administration officials put it, they saved the most pivotal relationship for last.

The visit will mark the realization of Japan’s transformation from regional player to that of global influencer — with senior Biden administration officials noting appreciatively there is little the U.S. does across the globe that Tokyo doesn’t support. They pointed to Japan’s eagerness to take a leading role in trying to bolster Ukraine against Russia’s invasion or the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Biden and Kishida are also kindred spirits as politicians, both confronting difficult political headwinds on the home front while trying to navigate increasingly complicated problems on the global stage. Like Biden, Kishida has been dogged by low approval ratings for much of his tenure.

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