U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived Thursday evening in Japan for a summit of leaders of the Group of Seven richest democracies, that will focus on countering what they have billed as China’s “economic coercion,” growing assertiveness and military buildup, as well as supporting Ukraine in its battle against a Russian invasion.
Shortly after landing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Biden greeted a group of about 400 U.S. and Japanese troops before heading to Hiroshima, the site of the G-7 talks, for a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Biden told Kishida that the United States and Japan “stand up for shared values,” including supporting Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for its war of aggression.
The summit kicks off Friday. Prior to their meetings, Biden and Kishida will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, with other G-7 leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the European Union. A group of nonmembers have also been invited as part of Kishida’s effort to engage with the Global South. Those nations include Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Ukraine and Vietnam.
