Kishida likely to meet Biden in U.S. this month

The Yomiuri Shimbun

November 6, 2021

Arrangements are in the final stage for a summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden in the United States later this month, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The Japanese government approached the U.S. side in response to Kishida’s strong desire for a meeting with Biden before the end of the year,

Tokyo wants to hold the bilateral meeting as soon as possible because an extraordinary Diet session is expected to be held in December when work to compile a draft budget for the next fiscal year will be in full swing.

Tokyo has told Washington that Kishida will be able to visit the United States anytime apart from the period of the special Diet session from Nov. 10 to 12, and coordination with the U.S. is now in the final stage, according to Japanese government sources.

Kishida and Biden spoke briefly on the sidelines of the COP26 U.N. climate conference in Scotland on Tuesday, and they agreed to hold talks in the United States at the earliest possible date.

If the meeting takes place, it is expected that the two leaders will reaffirm that Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, which stipulates U.S. defense obligations to Japan, applies to the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture and also the provision of extended deterrence by the United States.