(Reuters) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Thursday that he has been invited by U.S. President Joe Biden for a formal state visit to Washington. This would be the first such visit for a Japanese premier in several years.
Traditionally, formal state visits involve ceremonial events that can span multiple days and include a formal dinner at the White House, often attended by celebrities. These events are typically reserved for close partners such as France, South Korea, and Australia.
During these visits, meetings are used to further policy priorities that are shared between the two countries.
Kishida did not provide specific details about the timing of the visit while speaking to the media at the APEC summit in San Francisco. The last Japanese Prime Minister to go on a state visit to the United States was Shinzo Abe in 2015, who tragically passed away last year.
For Kishida, this visit could potentially be one of his final major overseas trips before he competes in a leadership election next September. His popularity has been declining due to economic issues and concerns regarding Japan’s ability to fund an increase in defense spending.
Additionally, it may also be one of the last state visits hosted by Biden as he prepares for the 2024 presidential election.
In 2019, former U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Japan on a state visit where he was treated to an imperial banquet, given front row seats at a sumo tournament, and toured the country’s largest warship.
(Reporting by John Geddie and Sakura Murakami in Tokyo and Trevor Hunnicutt in San Francisco; editing by Neil Fullick)
