Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Japan to meet at the White House today

The American President, Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will send a “clear signal” to China on Friday during their bilateral meeting., which will mark the first time in more than half a century that his two countries will mention Taiwan in a joint statement.

The meeting with Suga at the White House will be the first Biden has in person with a leader of another country since taking office in January, and China and North Korea will be at the center of much of it. ‘agenda.

Neither the United States nor Japan “is seeking to increase tensions or provoke China, but at the same time, they will try to send a clear signal on some of the measures they are taking” Beijing, a senior US official, who requested anonymity, said Thursday during a press conference call.

The joint statement that the two governments will issue after the meeting will include a mention of Taiwan, which does not appear in a statement by the US leaders. and Japan since the one signed in 1969 by Richard Nixon and Eisaku Sato, the source confirmed.

For the past half-century, Tokyo has avoided criticizing China’s policy towards Taiwan – which Beijing regards as a rogue province and not an independent country – in order to avoid a confrontation with the Asian giant, with whom it maintains important economic ties.

The United States understands that Suga must be “careful” in this sense, but that will not prevent the Taiwan issue from being part of this Friday’s “formal declaration”, as both countries are interested in “keeping the peace. and stability “in the Taiwan Straitexplained the American source.

Biden is so concerned about the Taiwan issue that he sent a US delegation there Thursday, which held consultations on the latest military maneuvers in Beijing and the recent incursions by Chinese planes into the air defense identification area. Taiwanese (ADIZ).

Se hope that ambos líderes también hablen de las violaciones de derechos humanos de China en Xinjiang y la situación en Hong Kong, pero Biden understands that Suga “tiene una perspectiva ligeramente diferente” sobre el tema y no le presionará para adjustarse a la suya, afirmó the official.

In addition, Biden will take the opportunity to “refine” with the help of the Japanese leader the new American strategy with regard to North Korea, that his team just finished and that Washington recently shared with Tokyo and Seoul, he added.

Biden will also express to Suga his “concern” and “pain” over diplomatic friction between Japan and South Korea, sparked by a forced labor dispute imposed on South Korean citizens during Japanese occupation in WWII. global.

“The political tensions are such that we believe it is an obstacle to our ability to be effective in (our strategy on) North East Asia.”said the source.

After the meeting, Suga to announce “remarkable commitment” to work on 5G technology with US valued at $ 2 billion, according to the official.

It will also reveal “specific climate measures that will place Japan in a leadership position” as part of global commitments by 2030, he added.

Upon his arrival at the White House, Suga will have “a long meeting” alone with Biden to “get to know each other better”, followed by a meeting with their respective teams and a press conference.

(With information from EFE)

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