US-Japan Leaders Talk... White House: US-Japan Alliance is the Cornerstone of Indo-Pacific Peace and Prosperity

President Joe Biden of the United States (left) and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan [Image source= AP, Reuters, Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on the 28th (local time) that he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden and agreed to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance.

According to NHK and others, President Biden and Prime Minister Suga spoke for about 30 minutes from past midnight until 1 a.m.

Prime Minister Suga described that they reaffirmed the cooperative stance between the U.S. and Japan on major security issues. He stated that he and President Biden shared the view that the Senkaku Islands (尖閣, Chinese name Diaoyutai) fall under Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which stipulates the U.S. obligation to defend Japan, and that they agreed to cooperate to resolve the issue of abducted Japanese nationals at an early stage.

The White House also reported that the two leaders confirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance. The White House used the term "Indo-Pacific," which sparked controversy last year over pressure on China.

The White House emphasized, "The U.S.-Japan alliance is important because it is the cornerstone for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region." It also reported that the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation with Australia and India.

The White House further stated that the two leaders agreed to strengthen the alliance and cooperate on issues such as climate change and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The White House also said the two leaders reaffirmed the necessity of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Prime Minister Suga said, "We agreed to further solidify the alliance through more frequent communications going forward." He also stated that, considering the COVID-19 situation, they agreed to coordinate a visit to the U.S. as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Suga said he did not discuss the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.