Biden Likely to Visit Japan Next Spring to Attend Quad Summit

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to make his first visit to Japan since taking office as early as next spring.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 21st that the second in-person Quad summit, involving the four countries of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India, will be held in Japan next year, and that this is expected to mark President Biden's first visit to Japan since his inauguration.

Earlier, Kurt Campbell, White House National Security Council (NSC) Indo-Pacific Coordinator, announced on the 19th during an online lecture on Indo-Pacific strategy hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) think tank that it was agreed Japan will host next year's Quad meeting.

The Yomiuri Shimbun conveyed Campbell's remarks, stating that the Japanese government aims to hold the Quad summit as early as next spring, and expects President Biden to visit Japan to attend this meeting.

The Quad, an alliance aimed at countering China, held its first summit in March via video conference, followed by the first in-person summit led by President Biden in Washington D.C. in September.

At the first in-person meeting, attended by then-Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga shortly before his retirement, the leaders agreed to regularize their meetings. However, no specific announcement was made regarding the location and timing of the next summit.

In this context, Japanese media (Kyodo News) reported on the 12th that the Japanese government expressed its intention to other parties to host the second in-person Quad summit as early as next spring, and Campbell officially confirmed this.

However, regarding Campbell's remarks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on the 20th that the timing and location of the second Quad summit have "not yet been decided," and that it will be concretized in the future according to the policy of holding it annually, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

There are expectations that if President Biden and other Quad leaders meet in Japan, which is geographically close to China, the Chinese government’s wariness will increase.

The Mainichi Shimbun forecasted that in addition to the summit, various levels of Quad-related meetings may be held in Japan next year.

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