US Prez, Japan PM to discuss concerns on China expansionist moves in April

United States President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will meet in April to discuss shared concerns about China's expansionist moves.

This will be the first in-person meeting of Biden with a foreign leader since taking office in January this year. This will also mark Suga's first visit to the United States as prime minister.

The meeting between Suga and Biden is scheduled for April 16. On Friday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Kastsunobu Kato said the meeting, which was planned for April 9, has been shifted a week later to "ensure success", Nikkei Asia reported.

In March, Japan and the US held two-plus-two meeting. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and US Defence Chief Lloyd Austin visited Japan.

A senior Japanese government official said: "As COVID-19 continues to spreads in the U.S., it takes time to prepare for the arrival of Suga and the team."

The two sides aim to firm up cooperation ahead of an international summit on climate change, to be held in the US on April 22.

Japan and the US are also likely to discuss shared concerns about China's expansionist moves. They also plan to affirm the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait, Nikkei has reported.

China in February enacted a new law that authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships entering waters claimed by Beijing, putting more pressure on Taiwan.

Japan is also affected since it controls the Senkaku Islands, which China claims and calls Diaoyu.

Japan is troubled by Chinese coast guard ships' entry into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

The Japanese Defense Ministry think tank, The National Institute for Defense Studies in March published a report titled "East Asian Strategic Review 2021" in which it asserted that China's coast guard could step up armament and provocations around the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea following the enforcement of a controversial Chinese law.

Japan has reported several cases of illegal intrusion by Chinese government vessels since the enactment of the law.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing's concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions.

Beijing's rising assertiveness against counter claimants in the East and South Sea has resulted in unprecedented agreement across the Indo-Pacific.