Prime Minister Kishida’s Excessive Love for Biden and Diplomatic Achievements
On May 22, President Biden arrived in Japan. He arrived not at Narita or Haneda, but at the U.S. Yokota Air Base. Here, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi welcomed him and said, “Welcome to Japan. But that is not “Japan.
The prime minister had taken great care to maintain his health, refraining from his favorite drink for several days and going to bed early at night. PCR tests every day leading up to the Japan-U.S. summit, and he went to thesummit with his head held high.
Up to this point, I had been engaged in a series of strenuous activities, including diplomacy tours in Asia, measures for the Diet session, and above all, measures for the Upper House election. Fatigue had reached its peak, and I was actually sniffling until the morning of the meeting. However, as soon as I saw President Biden’s face, my fatigue seemed to disappear and I was in a good mood from start to finish. His expression could not hide his elation, and he was almost in a state of excitement.
At the joint press conference following the Japan-U.S. summit, he repeated his gratitude to Joe. It seems that no matter how much he expressed his gratitude, it was not enough.
Love for Biden exploded at the joint press conference between the leaders of the U.S. and Japan.
On the North Korean nuclear program
The leaders confirmed that Japan, U.S., and South Korea will work even more closely together. We received strong support from President Biden.
On strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities.
“We received strong support from President Biden for fundamentally strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and increasing defense spending. I look forward to working more closely with him to ensure that U.S. expanded deterrence remains unwavering.”
IPEF Issues
President Biden’s call for a new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). We welcome the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) by President Biden and look forward to Japan’s participation and cooperation.
UN Reform
“President Biden expressed support for Japan’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council.”
Last but not least, the G7 will be held in Hiroshima next year.
There is no better place to demonstrate peace than Hiroshima. We confirmed that we will work together with President Biden.
Prime Minister Kishida, who hopes to obtain President Biden’s approval and support and close assistance in steering the country, expressed his “love for Biden” to such an extent that it was almost too much.
On the other hand, President Biden, who cannot look only at Japan, will attend the QUAD summit meeting as the international situation changes. He welcomed the holding of the Hiroshima G7 and praised Japan’s strengthening of its defense capabilities, but he also said that “China does not have the authority to take Taiwan by force.”
In response to a reporter’s question, “If the U.S. did not deploy troops to Ukraine, will the U.S. be militarily involved in Taiwan?” President Biden responded with a resounding
“Yes”.
Biden immediately answered “yes,” glaring at the audience. The U.S., which had been ridiculed for its “ambiguous strategy” in the face of the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, made a clear statement of its attitude here.
What the U.S. and President Biden need to create is a new framework for global security. In other words, the scale that he and Prime Minister Kishida are looking at is different. The difference in temperature is obvious.
Kishida said, “This is not the time to get carried away.”
A former defense minister with strong ties to the U.S. Department of Defense said, “I don’t think Kishida is in the mood for a defense budget increase.
We don’t have the funds to increase defense spending. We will have to rely on government bonds to pay for the increase. The fact that the increase in defense spending is being decided without discussing the details of the defense buildup or finding a source of funds is proof that civilian control is not functioning in Japan.
Putin has been trying to improve fiscal soundness in preparation for the invasion of Ukraine for quite some time. He has been carefully preparing for the invasion of Ukraine. This has been overlooked by the West and Japan. Putin has made political mistakes, but he is not crazy. He is lucid. What will happen in Europe in the future is completely unpredictable. The world is about to change. This is not the time for the Japanese prime minister to be excited.
Prime Minister Kishida, feeling “enthusiastic solidarity” with President Biden, admits to himself at once that his diplomacy has “surpassed Abe’s.”
The goal of Japan’s, and Prime Minister Kishida’s, diplomacy now should be to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to ease tensions between the U.S. and China. We can only hope that Japan will not follow the U.S. but will work for peace, not only for the 1,000 people who have fled to Japan from Ukraine. but for all people in Ukraine and all people in the world.
Reporting and writing： Shutaro Iwashiro Photo： Reuters/Afro
