New Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed that he received a strong message from US President Joe Biden regarding the United States' commitment to defending the Senkaku Islands, or Diaoyu as they are called in China, which also claims sovereignty over them alongside Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a telephone conversation that lasted approximately 20 minutes, the allies also confirmed their cooperation in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, Kishida stated at a press conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201eWe also confirmed that we will work closely together on issues related to China and North Korea,\u201c Kishida emphasized, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also said that Biden specifically highlighted the United States' commitment to defending Japan, including Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty, which applies to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These islands, located 1,931 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, have been administered by Japan since 1972, which, like Beijing, claims ownership and is increasingly concerned about Chinese activity in the East China Sea, including incursions into territorial waters around the disputed islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The telephone conversation with the US president followed a day after parliament elected Kishida as the new prime minister, and he called a general election for October 31 and promised to step up the country's pandemic response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n