United States and Japan agree to boost security and economic cooperation amid rising concerns

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed in a virtual meeting on Friday night (Jan 21) to boost cooperation on pressing economic and security issues, including China, North Korea's missiles and Russia's threat to Ukraine. - AP

WASHINGTON/TOKYO, Jan 22 (Reuters): US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed in a virtual meeting on Friday night (Jan 21) to boost cooperation on pressing economic and security issues, including China, North Korea's missiles and Russia's threat to Ukraine.

The online meeting, their first substantial talks since Kishida became Japan's prime minister in October, followed "two-plus-two" discussions this month at which defence and foreign ministers from the longtime allies voiced strong concern about China's growing might and vowed to respond if necessary to destabilizing activity in the Indo-Pacific.