Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in Washington, D.C., and will head to a White House meeting tomorrow — followed by a state dinner.
On Thursday, he'll become the second Japanese leader to address a joint session of Congress. There will also be a three-way summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Junior.
A common theme: regional security.
Top Defense officials from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have already talked about working more closely with Japan on advanced technology security projects.
Also, watch for announcements on further technology cooperation between the U.S. and Japan — from semiconductors to artificial intelligence — as well as a joint Indo-Pacific disaster relief hub to get emergency supplies quickly to regional locations hit by natural disasters.
Kishida will also go to North Carolina and drop by a Toyota battery plant under construction as well as a Honda Aircraft factory.
Expect a positive tone and friendly tenor throughout the trip — although there is at least one point of friction.
President Biden has already publicly opposed Nippon Steel's plans to buy U.S. Steel, and while that may or may not come up in formal statements, you can bet someone will ask about it in their joint news conference on Wednesday.
