Monitoring Desk
TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida starts a weeklong tour Monday to strengthen military relations with Britain and Europe and bring into focus the US-Japan alliance at a summit in Washington.
Prime Minister Kishida’s talks with the US President on Friday will highlight his five-nation trip that also takes him to Italy, France, Canada and Britain. Japanese Prime Minister’s first stop is France on Monday evening.
Japanese Prime Minister to visit US, Europe
He said his summit with US President Joe Biden will highlight the strength of the US-Japan alliance and how the two sides can work more closely as per Japan’s new defense and security strategies.
Tokyo in December adopted key defense and security reforms, including a counterstrike ability that makes a break from Japan’s exclusively self-defense only postwar principle. Tokyo said the present deployment of missile interceptors is not sufficient to defend it from rapid weapons advancement in North Korea.
Prime Minister Kishida said he would explain to President Biden the new strategy, under which Tokyo is reinforcing defenses on its southwestern islands near to Taiwan.
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The Prime Minister told NHK national television that they will discuss further strengthening of the US-Japan alliance, and how they work together to achieve an open Indo-Pacific. As per the new strategies, Tokyo plans to begin deploying in 2026 long-range cruise missiles that can reach their potential targets. The new strategy of Japan has been well received by Washington and some Congressmen.
