- The Washington Times - Thursday, January 25, 2024

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko Kishida, at the White House for an official state visit and lavish dinner this spring, the administration announced Thursday.

Mr. Kishida will meet with Mr. Biden on April 10, according to a White House statement. It will be the president’s fifth state dinner after hosting the leaders of France, South Korea, India and Australia.

“The visit will underscore the enduring strength of our alliance partnership, the unwavering U.S. commitment to Japan, and Japan’s increasing global leadership role,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Mr. Biden extended an invitation to Mr. Kishida in November when the two met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

It’s the first state dinner with a Japanese leader since former President Barack Obama hosted then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015. Japan played host in 2019, welcoming former President Donald Trump to an imperial banquet, front-row seats at a sumo tournament and a visit to the country’s biggest warships.

For both Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida, it could be the last formal state dinner, at least for a while. Both are facing close competitions this year and are struggling with economic problems that have affected their popularity.

The event comes as the U.S. government reviews the national security implications of Nippon Steel’s attempted purchase of U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion.

Speaking with reporters Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby declined to say if the U.S. Steel deal would be discussed during the state visit. He said the two leaders will likely talk about issues related to security in Asia, including how to improve cooperation with South Korea to contain North Korea.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

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