Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told U.S. President Joe Biden during phone talks Wednesday that he wants to strengthen the countries’ alliance, but they did not discuss his wish to revise a long-standing bilateral agreement on U.S. military operations.
When sharing some of the contents of their conversation with reporters, Ishiba, however, said he hopes to have discussions on the accord in the future when he has the opportunity.
Combined photo shows Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L)(Kyodo) and U.S. President Joe Biden (Getty/Kyodo).
The White House said Biden called Ishiba and underscored that the alliance has served as “the cornerstone of regional peace and prosperity” for more than seven decades and is now reaching new heights.
Ishiba was confirmed Tuesday as prime minister by parliament, replacing Fumio Kishida, after the 67-year-old new leader won a tight election to head the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
“I told President Biden that I intend to follow the path that he and (former) Prime Minister Kishida set in significantly expanding the bilateral alliance and further strengthen it,” Ishiba said.
Ishiba, who has described the security situation facing the country as “the most severe since World War II,” said he explained the need to boost Japan’s defenses, “both in the size (of spending) and substance.”
Ishiba has taken the view that the bilateral status of forces agreement, which serves as the basis for how U.S. troops stationed in Japan operate, should be revised, potentially a high hurdle.
He has floated the idea of stationing Self-Defense Forces troops in the United States for training, while jointly managing U.S. bases in Japan.
The bulk of such facilities are concentrated in Okinawa, seen as strategically important for its proximity to Taiwan as well as the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan but claimed by China.
The White House said Biden and Ishiba agreed that the people of the two countries share “deeply rooted values and principles,” including a commitment to maintaining an international order that is “free, open, secure and prosperous,” while confirming the strengthening of defense and regional cooperation.
During their conversation, which lasted about 15 minutes, the leaders touched on the importance of multilateral cooperation involving South Korea, another key U.S. ally in Asia, and other partners.
“We want to strengthen the network of like-minded nations,” Ishiba said, touching on the Quad framework involving Australia, India, Japan and the United States as well as three-way cooperation with the Philippines.
Ishiba said he and Biden also agreed to coordinate closely in resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.
Japan and the United States share the vision of making the Indo-Pacific “free and open,” a region that includes the East and South China seas, where China’s assertiveness has raised security concerns.
Ishiba has underlined the need for the region to have a collective security framework akin to NATO, given that Russia invaded Ukraine, a non-NATO member. An attack on a NATO member is treated as an attack on its other members.
In addition, Ishiba and Biden shared their “serious concerns” about the possibility of an all-out war in the Middle East following Iran’s missile strikes on Israel and strongly condemned the escalation, according to the Japanese government.
Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the premier’s office in Tokyo on Oct. 2, 2024, after holding telephone talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. (Kyodo)
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