Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed U. S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday, urging them to the importance of global commitments at a time of tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and deep skepticism in Congress about U. S. involvement abroad.
Kishida is in Washington this week for a stop at President Joe Biden’s home as the White House finishes hosting all the leaders of the Quad, an informal partnership between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is vital to countering China’s build-up military strength in the region.
The Republican-controlled House has been sitting for months.
“As we gather here today, I encounter an undercurrent of doubt among some Americans about what their role in the world will be,” Kishida told Congress.
He sought to remind lawmakers of the leadership role the United States has played in the world since World War II.
“When necessary, they made noble sacrifices to fulfill their commitment to a world,” Kishida said of the United States.
Japan has played a role in supporting Ukraine’s defense against Moscow and helping humanitarian aid succeed in Gaza. It is also seen as a key partner for the United States in a tense region where China is announcing its strength and North Korea is on the verge of developing a nuclear strategy. program.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech Thursday, “The way for the House to heed Prime Minister Kishida’s words is to pass the national security supplement bill as soon as possible. “
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also said this week that he expected Kishida to emphasize “that we are here on a global stage opposite to the enemies of democracy, led by China, Russia and Iran. “
Kishida is confident that Japan is also committed to security and human rights.
The prime minister called China’s stance “unprecedented” and “the biggest strategic challenge, only for the peace and security of Japan, but also for the peace and stability of the foreign network as a whole. “
Kishida also attended a summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines on Thursday as part of some other regional cooperation effort in the face of Chinese aggression. The UK also announced on Thursday that it would conduct joint military exercises with Japan and the Philippines.
Beijing strongly rejected those moves in the face of Kishida’s visit.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “Despite China’s serious concerns, the United States and Japan have attacked and defamed China on Taiwan and maritime issues, flagrantly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and violated the fundamental norms of relations. “
Meanwhile, Kishida believes that the duration of the conflict in Ukraine will have serious consequences.
“The Ukraine of today can be the East Asia of tomorrow,” Kishida told lawmakers, adding that “Japan will continue to support Ukraine. “
These statements provoked applause from much of the room, but an organization of radical conservatives remained in office.
It will be difficult to triumph over the deep divisions among Republicans.
After the speech, Johnson praised the U. S. -Japan partnership, saying, “We will not allow tyrants to disrupt the prosperity and security we all enjoy. »
Kishida, elected in 2021, arrived in Washington as he faced his own political turmoil in Japan. Polls show his aid has plummeted as he grapples with a political budget corruption scandal within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The country’s economy also fell last year to fourth place in the world, Germany.
Kishida is the sixth foreign leader to face Congress during Biden’s presidency.
He relished the moment and emphasized his ties to the United States.
“I still miss this program,” Kishida told them, though I’ve never translated “Yabba dabba doo. “
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Associated Press Didi Tang contributed.
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