WASHINGTON (TVBS News) — Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday (April 10) reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during a bilateral summit at the White House.
The two leaders discussed the tension between Taiwan and China. Kishida pledged to uphold international order, stating, "Any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion is absolutely unacceptable. He further promised, "The U.S. and Japan will continue to respond to such actions, including challenges from China."
Speaking of the cross-strait topic, Biden emphasized the need to maintain open communication channels with China, noting that the U.S.-Japan alliance is fundamentally defensive in nature.
Following the summit, the two nations issued a joint statement "Global Partners for the Future," signing approximately 70 cooperation agreements spanning defense, space, economic security, artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear fusion energy, and disaster relief.
The agreements primarily focus on defense, including an "upgrading alliance command and control" initiative that will establish a joint operations command center for improved cooperation during crises.
The two sides also agreed to deepen defense industry cooperation. The Pentagon and Japan's Ministry of Defense will jointly establish a Defense Industry Cooperation, Acquisition, and Support Forum (DICAS), which aims at the joint development, production and maintenance of defense equipment.
