Japan, US agree to cooperate on regional security

TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held his first talks since taking office with United States (US) President Joe Biden and confirmed they will work to strengthen their alliance and cooperate in regional security.

Kishida, who was elected by Parliament and sworn in on Monday, told reporters that Biden reassured him of the US commitment to defend the Japanese interest.

Biden provided “a strong statement about US commitment for the defence of Japan,” Kishida said, adding that the two leaders also reaffirmed they would tackle together the regional challenges. Kishida supports stronger Japan-US security ties and partnerships with other democracies in Asia and Europe, including the United Kingdom.

Kishida has also pledged to beef up Japan’s missile and naval defence capabilities.

The two leaders confirmed their commitment to work together toward the “free and open Indo-Pacific”, a vision of partnerships among the regional democracies. Kishida said.

Holding his first talks as prime minister with the US president serves “a first step toward elevating the Japan-US alliance to even higher levels,” Kishida said.

The 20-minute phone conversation on Monday, proposed by Japan, started with Biden congratulating Kishida. The leaders agreed to call each other by their first names, and agreed to meet at an early date.

While Kishida had an upbeat diplomatic debut, media surveys conducted over the last 24 hours showed support ratings for his new Cabinet were about 15 points lower than the initial high support his unpopular predecessor Yoshihide Suga enjoyed last year.

In the Mainichi newspaper telephone survey published on Tuesday, 49 per cent of 1,035 respondents supported the Kishida Cabinet, compared to 64 per cent Suga initially enjoyed, and 40 per cent dissapproved of Kishida.

The Nikkei newspaper phone survey showed 59 per cent of 854 respondents supporting Kishida’s Cabinet, also 15 points below Suga’s.

Many of those who disapproved of Kishida cited customary power broking by party heavyweights behind his victory.

Later on Monday, Kishida held online talks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, agreeing to strengthen their security and economic ties bilaterally and as part of the Quad alliance, which also includes the US and India, to promote the regional peace and stability, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Kishida expressed his support for a newly launched security partnership among Australia, Britain and the US.

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her congratulatory message to Kishida, released on Tuesday by her office: “Germany is looking full of confidence toward working with you to further deepen the friendship between our people and stand up together for free trade, multilateralism, rules-based order and peaceful conflict solution.”

Kishida, 64, had been known as a moderate in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party but won the party’s leadership last week after a hawkish turn on security and taking a more conservative stance.