Joe Biden to visit South Korea and Japan in May

(Washington) US President Joe Biden will visit South Korea and Japan from May 20 to 24, the White House announced on Wednesday, amid tensions with China and North Korea.

Posted at 8:15 p.m.

The trip will aim to “deepen the bonds between our governments, our economies and our peoples” and “advance the firm commitment” of the United States to a “free and open” Asia-Pacific region, according to a statement.

Joe Biden will meet new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who takes office on May 10, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In Tokyo, he will also meet with the leaders of the member countries of the “Quad”, the alliance of the United States with Australia, India and Japan. Initiated in 2007, this informal alliance was relaunched in 2017 to counter Chinese influence.

The Biden administration considers the Asia-Pacific region as the heart of its foreign and defense policy to counter the expansion of China, which it accuses in particular of wanting to control international trade routes.

The world’s two largest economies clash over trade, human rights and what Mr Biden more broadly calls the struggle between autocracies and democracies.

For its part, North Korea has conducted an unprecedented series of sanctions-busting weapons tests this year, including the firing of a full-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising concerns among the international community.

Fears linked to China or North Korea’s tests have nevertheless been eclipsed since the end of February by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

India and many countries in the region fear that because of the Ukrainian crisis, Washington will lose interest in Asia-Pacific.


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