Biden Visits Asia To Boost Indo-Pacific Ties Amid Russia-Ukraine War

US President Joe Biden is currently visiting South Korea and Japan to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances amid China’s rise and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden landed at the Osan Air Base, 70 kilometers south of Seoul on Friday.

After the three-day visit that includes a summit with his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, he will leave for Japan on Sunday for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In Seoul and Tokyo, Biden will discuss the North’s nuclear programme, as well as the US’s economic and security ties with its two treaty allies in Asia.

He is also likely to push for improved relations between the two countries after ties soured over territorial issues.

In Tokyo, Biden will also convene a summit of the leaders of the Quad grouping which includes the US, Japan, India and Australia and launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters en route to South Korea; "Biden’s Asia trip is also fundamentally about building personal ties with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

“In both cases, he’s looking for the opportunity to just spend time to get to know these leaders so that when they need to pick up the phone in a crisis or to respond to a major world event, there’s a baseline of trust and understanding and almost like a common operating language."