By Tomoyuki Tachikawa,
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized in a landmark speech to the U.S. Congress on Thursday that the leadership of the United States is "indispensable" for the international order, which has been facing "new challenges" such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Making the first address to the U.S. legislature by the Asian nation's premier in nine years, Kishida also said Tokyo and Washington "carry a large responsibility" in ensuring global peace and prosperity, adding, "The people of Japan are with you" and that the country is the United States' "closest friend."
Kishida's speech to the joint session of Congress, delivered in English, comes as some Republicans have sought to thwart the efforts of Democrats and President Joe Biden to expand foreign aid for Ukraine, which has been under invasion by Russia since February 2022.
Japan, the president of the Group of Seven last year, has pledged to maintain its "unwavering" support for war-torn Ukraine in collaboration with the other advanced economies of the grouping, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy.
"Without U.S. support, how long before the hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow? Without the presence of the United States, how long before the Indo-Pacific would face even harsher realities?" Kishida said.
Addresses given by foreign dignitaries to joint sessions of the U.S. Congress have taken place on special occasions. During Barack Obama's presidency, Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot in July 2022, became the first Japanese prime minister to make such a speech.
In 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol each addressed the U.S. Congress, with Washington aiming to deepen relations with the two nations amid growing security threats from China and North Korea.
Kishida made the speech, titled "For the Future: Our Global Partnership," amid China's increasing military assertiveness, North Korea's missile and nuclear development, and Russia's war in Ukraine, all of which have been jeopardizing global peace and stability.
"China's current external stance and military actions present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge, not only to the peace and security of Japan but to the peace and stability of the international community at large," Kishida said.
"North Korea's provocations have impact beyond the region. It has also exported its ballistic missiles to support Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, greatly increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people," he added.
Touching on his decisions to bolster Japan's annual defense expenditure to around 2 percent of gross domestic product and to acquire enemy base strike capabilities, Kishida said, "Japan is already standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States."
"Uncertainty about the future stability of the Indo-Pacific region caused us to change our policies and our very mindset. I myself have stood at the forefront in making our bilateral alliance even stronger," he added.
Along with Japan, other democracies like South Korea, Australia, India and the Philippines have joined hands to establish a "multi-layered regional framework," where the alliance between Tokyo and Washington "serves as a force multiplier," Kishida said.
He stressed, "Here in this chamber, we should have strong bipartisan support for these efforts."
On the economic front, Kishida said Japan is the biggest direct investor to the United States, as the Asian country's companies have invested about $800 billion and contributed to the creation of some one million jobs there.
"A growth-oriented Japanese economy" should "spur even greater investment in the United States. And we can then help boost the global economy to steer it toward a strong growth trajectory in the years to come," Kishida said.
After concluding his speech, Kishida, the first Japanese prime minister in nine years to visit the United States as a state guest, was greeted with handshakes and autograph requests from U.S. lawmakers. He took office in October 2021.
Kishida lived in New York when he was a child. He said, "Since childhood, I have felt a connection to the United States," adding, "Even though I was the only Japanese student there, my classmates kindly accepted me and helped me immerse myself in a new culture."
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