WASHINGTON — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday for a speech to US lawmakers aimed at underscoring the importance of maintaining a strong partnership between the two countries at a time of tension in the Asia-Pacific and skepticism in Congress on American involvement abroad.
Kishida was in Washington this week visiting President Joe Biden as the White House completed hosting each leader of the Quad – an informal partnership between the US, Japan, Australia and India seen as important to China’s growing military strength in the region. Kishida is expected to speak about the future of Japan-US relations
He will address many Republicans who have pushed for the US to take a less active role in global affairs as it follows the “America First” ethos of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. a $95 billion package that would send war funding to Ukraine and Israel, as well as aid to Indo-Pacific allies like Taiwan and humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and Ukraine.
Although the package does not include direct funding for Japan, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week that he hoped Kishida’s visit would underscore “that we are in a global situation here against the enemies of democracy – led by China, Russia and Iran.”
Japan has played a strong role in supporting Ukraine’s defense against Moscow and helping humanitarian aid reach Gaza. It is also seen as an important American partner in a tense region where China is asserting its strength and North Korea is developing a nuclear program.
“Japan is a close ally – critical to both our national and economic security,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “This visit will continue to deepen the diplomatic and security relationship between our two countries and build on the strength of decades of cooperation.”
Kishida also attended a summit between the US, Japan and the Philippines on Thursday in a new effort to strengthen regional cooperation in the face of Chinese aggression.
In Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up the foreign security package since its passage by the Senate in February, but he is now working to advance it in the coming weeks. Bridging the deep divisions among Republicans over support for Kiev will be a difficult task. To make matters worse for the Republican speaker, he is already facing the threat of being kicked out of the speaker’s office.
Kishida, who was elected in 2021, arrives in Washington while facing political problems of his own in Japan. Polls show his support has fallen as he faces a corruption scandal involving political funds within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The country’s economy also fell to the fourth largest in the world last year, behind Germany.
It will be the first time a Japanese prime minister has addressed Congress since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe traveled to Capitol Hill in 2015. Kishida will also be the sixth foreign leader to address Congress during Biden’s presidency.