Ishiba Plans to Meet Biden in Mid-Nov.; 1st Face-to-Face Meeting During APEC Summit

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:45 JST, November 1, 2024

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to meet U.S. President Joe Biden during his visit to South America in mid-November, several government sources said. It will be their first face-to-face meeting, though they did speak over the phone on Oct. 2, the day after Ishiba took office.

The bilateral summit meeting is expected to take place in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled in Peru on Nov. 15-16. At the meeting, Ishiba is expected to convey Japan’s intention to drastically strengthen its defense capability and facilitate collaboration with the United States and like-minded countries. He is also expected to confirm the deepening of the alliance between the countries with Biden.

A meeting between Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping is also being arranged during Ishiba’s trip. It is thought that Ishiba will align his views on China with Biden. After the APEC summit, Ishiba will attend the Group of 20 major economies summit in Brazil on Nov. 18 and 19.