Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan has expressed his desire to strengthen military and weapons development cooperation with the United States and other countries, such as the Philippines, in advance of his upcoming visit to the U.S. next week.
During an interview with foreign media on Friday, Kishida emphasized the importance of defense industry cooperation between Japan, the United States, and other like-minded countries. He stated his intention to steadily improve deterrence and response capabilities within the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Kishida's visit to the United States, scheduled for April 8-14, will include talks with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday, followed by a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the next day.
Japanese officials anticipate that a deepening of security and defense ties and an expansion of arms co-development will be key topics of discussion during Kishida's visit. This aligns with Japan's recent adoption of a more expansive national security strategy in 2022, which has led to bold steps to accelerate the country's military buildup.
Kishida has pledged to double defense spending and bolster deterrence against China, which Japan considers a security threat. Japan has also taken steps to relax its weapons export guidelines, allowing the sale of lethal weapons to certain countries and overseas sales of a fighter jet it is co-developing with Britain and Italy.
The two leaders are also expected to agree to start discussions on establishing a unified command on each side, as well as a new framework for weapons co-development. Additionally, they are expected to allow repair and maintenance of U.S. warships in Japan to support their operation in the Western Pacific.
Japan and the United States are both strengthening defense ties with the Philippines due to shared concerns about China's role in the region. The three leaders are expected to discuss a strengthening of security cooperation as tensions rise between China and the Philippines over their rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Another key area of cooperation is space. Kishida and Biden are expected to confirm Japan's participation in NASA's Artemis moon program and its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and the participation of an astronaut.
The United States and Japan are also expected to announce plans aimed at boosting the number of Japanese students studying at U.S. universities.
During his visit, Kishida also plans to highlight Japan's economic contributions in the United States to gain the understanding of the American public. He will meet with business leaders and visit Toyota's electric vehicle battery factory under construction for a planned launch in 2025 and Honda's business jet subsidiary in North Carolina.