WASHINGTON -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday held his first diplomatic talks since taking office with U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, affirming continued cooperation with two Quad leaders in the Indo-Pacific region.
Kishida's first call was with Biden. The leaders agreed to bolster the Japan-U.S. alliance and to continue working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Biden also said Article 5 of their bilateral security treaty, which obligates the U.S. to defend Japan, extends to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands. This affirms that the U.S. will maintain the pledge made with former Japanese prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga regarding the islands, which China claims as the Diaoyu.
Kishida served as foreign minister from 2012 to 2017, and has known Biden since he was vice president to Barack Obama. Calling each other "Fumio" and Joe," the two leaders agreed Tuesday to foster a close relationship moving forward.
Kishida then spoke with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Kishida welcomed the creation of AUKUS , the new security cooperation framework between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. He and Morrison agreed to oppose economic coercion as well as unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas -- a likely message to China.
Japan, the U.S., Australia and India form the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which is widely viewed as bulwark against China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Kishida is also scheduled for calls with Asian and European leaders, though he is not expected to kick off in-person diplomacy into full gear until after Japan's lower house election on Oct. 31.
China is expected to draw much of Kishida's diplomatic focus moving forward. Chinese incursions into Japanese territorial waters by the Senkakus more than doubled in January-June from a year earlier. Fifty-six Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone on Monday, setting a new daily record.
"The military balance between China and Taiwan has shifted in favor of China, and the gap is only growing every year," Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said.
"We will not only keep a close eye [on Taiwan], but we will carefully consider what situations could unfold and how we could respond and prepare for them," Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
With Taiwan and the Senkakus only 170 km apart, any crisis in the Taiwan Strait could directly affect the security of the latter islands. There is concern that Japan may not possess the defensive capabilities to respond to such a scenario, and the country is expected to consider increasing its defense budget, among other options.
During his campaign to become president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Kishida called for a new legal framework to respond to foreign incursions near the Senkakus. He also was open to Japan gaining the ability to launch strikes against hostile military bases to prevent attacks on Japan. Both proposals were seen as a response to China's increasing assertiveness in the region.
Kishida, at a Monday news conference, struck a more cautious tone toward China, questioning the country's qualification s to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership rather than reject the possibility outright. He also did not touch on Taiwan's bid to join the same trade pact.
But many in the LDP still see China as a threat, and an overly conciliatory approach will likely trigger pushback at home. Asian and European leaders are also closely watching Kishida's moves on the country. Articulating a China strategy will be vital to Kishida's diplomatic efforts moving forward.
Kishida named the coronavirus response, the economy and foreign and security policy as his top three concerns as prime minister. He will need to actively engage with partners in the region and beyond to prove he is not putting diplomacy on the back burner.