Talked to US president, Received Strong Message of China: New Japan Prime Minister

New Delhi: New Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said that he received a strong message from the US President about the US commitment to defending the disputed East China Sea islets known as the Senkaku Island in Japan.

PM Kishida said that “Call with President Biden’s phone call lasted for around 20 minutes. The allies also confirmed their cooperation toward achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific,”

Kishida was voted in by lawmakers on Monday as the nation’s new prime minister and the call came a day after he called a parliamentary election for Oct. 31

“We confirmed that we would work together toward the strengthening of the Japan-US alliance and free and open Indo-Pacific. We also confirmed we would work closely on issues related to China and North Korea,” Kishida said.
Japan has become increasingly concerned about Chinese activity in the East China Sea, including incursions into waters around the disputed islands, known as the Diaoyus in China.

US President Joe Biden and PM Kishida agreed to work together on global issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and nuclear proliferation. “Especially, the president made a strong comment on the U.S. commitment to defend Japan, including Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty,” Kishida added.

(_Vinayak.Barot)