Japan’s Kishida Urges US to Maintain Its ‘Pivotal Role’ in the World

‘The world needs the United States to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations,’ the prime minister said in an address to Congress.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) gives a speech in Congress while Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) listen in Washington on April 11, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed a joint meeting of Congress during his visit to Washington on April 11. He shared his nation’s commitment to being the United States’s closest global partner and emphasized that America must retain its place as a champion of freedom and democracy worldwide.

“I want you to know how seriously Japan takes its role as the United States’s closest ally,” he said. “Together, we carry large responsibilities. I believe we are essential to peace, vital to freedom, and fundamental to prosperity.”