President Joe Biden on Friday will welcome to the White House Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the first foreign leader to visit Washington, D.C., since he took office in January.
Biden is scheduled to host Suga for an official working visit and expanded bilateral discussions, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The two will give a joint news conference in the Rose Garden at 4:15 p.m.
President Joe Biden will meet Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in his first in-person meeting with a foreign leader. Here's what to knowhttps://t.co/Z1td5VwBCW
— TIME (@TIME) April 16, 2021
At their summit Friday, Biden and Suga are expected to announce a $2 billion commitment to support 5G cellular networks that are alternatives to the network of Chinese telecom Huawei, a senior administration official told reporters Thursday.
U.S. firms have been barred from buying Huawei components and the company was blocked from buying U.S. technology under a national security policy imposed by former President Donald Trump. Biden's administration has not said whether it will keep the bans in place.
Earlier this week, Biden said the United States needs to "shore up American competitiveness to meet the stiff competition" from China.
Recent Chinese military flights in Taiwan's airspace also will be a topic of discussion, the administration official said.
"Neither country is seeking to raise tensions or to provoke China," the official said. "But at the same time, we're trying to send a clear signal that some of the steps that China is taking ... its fighters and bombers, flying them into Taiwan's airspace is antithetical to the mission of maintaining peace and stability."
Tensions between Japan and South Korea are also expected to be topics at Friday's summit.
"The political tensions are such that we believe it actually impedes all of our abilities to be effective in Northeast Asia, and I think the president will want to discuss this in some detail with Prime Minister Suga," the official said.
Other subjects expected to be on the agenda include COVID-19, North Korea's nuclear threat, climate change and trade.
Suga also is scheduled to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris at her residence during his visit to Washington.
President Biden will welcome Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan to the White House later today, the first visit by a foreign leader since Biden took office. He’s expected to press a staunch U.S. ally to help confront an increasingly aggressive China. https://t.co/82IfojDT8J
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 16, 2021
Biden met with Suga during the virtual "Quad" summit last month, which also included India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
This article has been adapted from its original source
