Biden Seeks Unity With Japan’s Suga Against China at First White House Summit

Biden Seeks Unity With Japan’s Suga Against China at First White House Summit
President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hold a joint news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, on April 16, 2021. Tom Brenner/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden on Friday sought to present a united front with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to counter an increasingly threatening China as the U.S. leader held his first face-to-face White House summit since taking office.

China topped the agenda, underscoring Japan’s central role in U.S. efforts to face down Beijing. The two leaders addressed an array of geopolitical issues, including Taiwan, with Suga saying they reaffirmed “the importance of peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” a slap at Beijing’s increased military pressure on the Chinese-claimed, self-ruled island.