Japan and US Agree to Strengthen Alliance Amid Geopolitical Tensions

TOKYO—Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed at a meeting on Sunday to strengthen their countries’ alliance amid shared concerns over a rise in geopolitical tensions.
The two met on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and discussed the conflict in Ukraine, repeated missile launches by North Korea, and tensions in the South and East China Seas, said a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We agreed to strengthen the deterrent strength and effectiveness of the U.S.–Japan alliance amid mounting challenges to the security of the region,” Kishida told reporters after the summit….}