Suga, Biden Agree to Enhance Japan-U.S. Alliance

Tokyo, Jan. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden, in phone talks held early Thursday Japan time, affirmed that they will work together to strengthen the two countries' alliance further. In their first phone conversation since the U.S. leader took office on Jan. 20, Suga and Biden confirmed the two nations' close cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus and efforts to tackle climate change. Suga offered his congratulations to Biden on the president's inauguration. The prime minister became the first Asian leader to hold phone talks with Biden after the president took office. The two leaders agreed that Tokyo and Washington will work hand in hand to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region, apparently with China's moves in mind. Suga and Biden confirmed that the Japan-U.S. security treaty's Article 5, which obliges the United States to defend territories under Japanese jurisdiction, applies to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The Japanese-administered Senkaku chain is claimed by China, which calls it Diaoyu. Biden reaffirmed to Suga the United States' commitment to provide extended deterrence, including the nuclear umbrella, to Japan. They also discussed regional issues, including North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Suga sought cooperation from the United States for the early resolution of the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago. Biden offered his support on the matter. Resolving the abduction issue is one of important challenges for the Suga administration. The two also affirmed that they will work on strengthening the four-way collaboration among their countries plus Australia and India. Biden invited Suga to an online climate summit to be hosted by the president on April 22. The prime minister said he will consider attending the summit. Also in the phone talks, the two leaders agreed to call each other by their first names: Yoshi and Joe. "I would like to surely work on beefing up the Japan-U.S. alliance together with the president, while also deepening my personal relationship with him," Suga said to reporters after the phone conversation. "It was a very good meeting." Suga said it was agreed that the two sides will "make adjustments" to realize his visit to the United States "as early as possible while watching the coronavirus infection situation." Meanwhile, the prime minister said that the phone talks did not cover issues related to this summer's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Summer Olympics and Paralympics, originally scheduled for 2020, have been postponed by one year due to the spread of the novel coronavirus across the globe. The continuing pandemic is casting a shadow over the Tokyo Games again. Suga and Biden talked over the phone last November, soon after the outcome of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election became available. END