After a lapse of nine years, the Japanese prime minister visited the United States again as a "state guest", and the last person to enjoy such a "honor" was former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had been killed in an attack.
However, although it is said to be "state guest treatment", sharp-eyed Japanese netizens found that this time Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife visited the United States, and it seemed that only the US ambassador to Japan came to pick up the plane, and netizens complained that it was "extremely poor treatment".
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Emmanuel picks up Fumio Kishida
However, when Japanese television stations broadcast the relevant details of Kishida's arrival in the United States, they still tried their best to make up for it, claiming that it was "special" from the moment the prime minister's plane arrived in the United States, and also said that the United States had specially rolled out a red carpet to greet visiting Japanese dignitaries at the airport, which "generally does not appear" during ordinary visits.
The report also said that Fumio Kishida will deliver a speech to the U.S. Congress on the 12th, the second Japanese prime minister to enjoy such treatment in 9 years, and Biden will also hold a state banquet for Fumio Kishida to welcome.
Although the Japanese media vigorously touted the "high level and large scale" of the meeting, Japanese netizens noticed a detail from the live video, that is, the US officials who came to pick up Fumio Kishida were led by Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, and Kishida only shook hands with Emmanuel after stepping down the escalator.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife visited the United States
Logically speaking, if it is really a VIP treatment, the United States will at least send a senior ministerial-level official to receive Fumio Kishida, and the ambassador to Japan will generally only accompany him. Today's scene inevitably disappointed many Japanese netizens, saying that their prime minister was "given a cold reception" by the United States.
You must know that Fumio Kishida has put a lot of effort into this visit. Shiro Tazaki, a veteran Japanese political correspondent, recently disclosed that in order to ensure that Fumio Kishida could make a successful speech during his visit to the United States, he not only invited someone who had written for the US president to write for himself, but also took time to practice English, which can be described as hard work.
The last person who practiced English hard before visiting the United States was South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and I have to say that although Japan and South Korea have some contradictions, the degree of attention they attach to the United States is indeed "equal." It is worth noting that Yoon Suk-yeol received a security commitment from the United States during his last visit to the United States, so what will Kishida's visit to the United States take?
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (pictured right) visited the United States
Judging from the information known so far, Fumio Kishida first talked to Biden about defense issues, and once again pointed the finger at China. Senior U.S. government officials reported that the United States and Japan plan to establish a defense industry commission, in which the joint production of the Patriot 3 missile by the United States and Japan is seen as a potential project.
In addition, the United States will also allow Japanese shipyard workers to undertake more maintenance work on American warships, firstly, to save the time cost of round-tripping, and secondly, to strengthen the alliance relationship, after all, this is a "fat gap", and to a certain extent, it can also provide more employment opportunities for Japanese workers.
The most important thing is that when US warships and aircraft carriers are deployed in the Indo-Pacific region, they are generally docked at the port of Yokosuka in Japan.
American aircraft carrier docked in Japanese ports
For example, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Emanuel threatened that "we have to harden up in the face of China," and said that the United States is planning to set up a new joint military command center in Japan and completely adjust its military posture in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure that the United States can maintain maximum deterrence in the face of "Chinese pressure."
If the United States really has no scruples, why does it want to form a gang to demonstrate against China? The more the United States goes to great lengths to win over its allies and create bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region, the more it shows that the United States has no bottom in its own heart and lacks self-confidence in the face of China, so it is necessary to recruit its allies to be emboldened.
In addition to the Japanese Prime Minister's visit to the United States, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos also received an invitation from the United States to plan a trilateral summit. In this regard, China has long said that it resolutely opposes the practice of external forces cobbling together exclusive "small circles" and opposing bloc confrontation in the region.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
China's remarks have made it very clear that no country carrying out defense cooperation should undermine regional peace and stability, and Japan should draw lessons from history, be cautious in its words and deeds in the field of military security, and avoid causing tension among neighboring countries. The Philippines should learn from this and avoid getting involved in the whirlpool of great power competition, and work with China to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.