It was declared on Friday, March 12, 2021, by Japan’s administration that Yoshihide Suga will visit Washington next month. Which will be his first face-to-face summit with U.S. President Joe Biden after he and his staff complete their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Katsunobu Kato, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, said Yoshihide Suga is supposed to be the first foreign leader that Joe Biden meets with since his presidency. The meeting is expected to take place in the first half of April.
He likewise said the two chiefs are relied upon to talk about pandemic measures. Environmental change, and other local concerns including North Korea. The meeting will also focus on China’s increasing aggression in the East and South China sea. Which has become a developing concern for Japan and the U.S.
Yoshihide Suga had already talked to Joe Biden and on Friday was to join a virtual summit of the heads of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S., a gathering famously known as “Quad” that offers worries about China’s expanding financial and military strength.
Why Japan is worry about China?
China has been building and militarizing manmade islands in the South China Sea and is pressing its claim to essentially all of the important islands rich in fisheries and waterways. Japan is concerned about China’s claim to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, also known as Diaoyu in China, located in the East China Sea.
China has always denied Japan’s claim over Senkaku Island and said it is only protecting its territorial rights.
Why is “Quad” so important?
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) is the strategically important group between four countries including India, United States, Japan, and Australia which was inducted in 2007.
Importance of Quad:
- To control increasing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
- To raise concerns regarding freedom of trade and navigation through the south and East China seas.
- To provide security in vast oceans as it is not possible for the navy of a single country to provide security alone.
- To increase connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region and provide economic opportunity.
- To provide safety to international maritime trade routes like the Malacca strait.
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