Biden, Suga meet at White House, Taiwan statement expected

Suga is the first foreign leader to visit the US since Biden took office, underscoring US emphasis on the Indo-Pacific.

President Joe Biden is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House Friday, with Suga the first foreign leader to be hosted by the new US administration. China, COVID-19, climate change, trade, North Korea and the upcoming Tokyo Olympics are set to loom large during the talks as the Biden administration continues to pivot its foreign policy priorities towards the Indo-Pacific and its allies there. The meeting may also see at least one major shift in Japan’s incremental but increasingly firm rhetoric towards China: Biden and Suga are expected to release a formal “joint statement” about the China-claimed Democratic island of Taiwan, according to Biden administration officials.