US and Japan leaders discuss about security.

President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for a broad discussion at the White House on Friday as Japan is seeking to establish the security of its allies during an era of controversial Chinese as well as North Korean military action.

Both administrations were in the process of negotiating an agreement to strengthen U.S.-Japanese cooperation in space. It was done through a ceremony of signing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.

Biden received Kishida at Kishida at the White House on Friday morning to commemorate the prime minister’s first trip to Washington since his appointment in the month of October, 2021. In the Oval Office, the U.S. president thanked Japan for its “historic” growth in defense spending, and promised to work closely with Japan on security and economic issues.

“We get together at an incredible event,” Biden told Kishida in the following interview, adding, “The more difficult job is trying to determine the areas where we don’t agree.”

Kishida, in a speech through an interpreter, stated that the two countries “share fundamental values like legality and democracy” and emphasized that their role as a team on the international stage “is growing more important.”

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Blinken stated in a recent interview that U.S.-Japan Space cooperation agreement was “decade in the making” that “covers everything from collaboration in research to working to launch the first person and woman from a different race on moon.”

He expressed his belief that the U.S. and Japan agree that China is their “greatest common strategic challenge” and also confirmed that an attack on space could trigger a joint defense clause within the U.S.-Japan security treaty.

Prior to Friday’s meeting between both leaders U.S. and Japanese officials announced a modification in their American troops’ presence in Okinawa. Okinawa in part , to increase the anti-ship capabilities required in the event of a Chinese invasion into Taiwan or other acts of aggression in the region.

Japan is also strengthening its defences on its islands in the southwestern region close to Taiwan as well as Yonaguni and Ishigaki which are where there are new bases being built.

The leaders discussed Japan’s plan to increase the amount of defense expenditure and coordination. This has been triggered by fears that China might take military action to take control of Taiwan and the recent increase in missile tests could be a sign of the country’s isolatedness in pursuing its nuclear goals.

Biden as well as Kishida spoke about the invasions by Chinese militaristic vessels to Japanese territorial waters surrounding those Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The islets that are not inhabited are managed by Japan however they are claimed by China and issuing them the name Diaoyu.

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Kishida’s meeting with Biden is the last meeting in a week of discussions with other Group of Seven leaders that was mainly focused on his efforts to boost the defense budget of Japan and encourage leaders to increase collaboration.

Japan in the last month revealed plans to purchase U.S.-made Tomahawks and other long-range cruise missiles capable of hitting areas in China and North Korea under a more aggressive security plan, and Japan, Britain and Italy have announced plans to cooperate in a future jet fighter.

Biden Administration officials have expressed praise for Japan for its resolute response after the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Japan quickly joined the U.S. and other Western allies in increasing severe sanctions against Moscow. Japanese automotive manufacturers Mazda, Toyota and Nissan announced their decision to leave Russia.

The White House has made the argument that China is paying attention to efforts by the international community to unite behind Ukraine in the context of weighing its options regarding Taiwan.

“We are strongly against any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo using coercion or force anywhere around the globe,” the leaders said in a joint statement after their meeting.

A senior official from the administration who requested anonymity to discuss negotiations with Japanese in the past, pointed out that negotiations that involve U.S. military presence in Okinawa usually took many years to finish. However, according to the official, the negotiations that preceded the meeting this week were concluded at a rapid pace.

Biden was anticipated to speak out about the case of Lieutenant. Ridge Alkonis, a U.S. Navy officer deployed to Japan who was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to negligently causing the death of two Japanese citizens in the month of May 2021.

Alkonis’ family members say that he fell unconscious at the wheel of his car on a trip with the family to Mt. Fuji. He drove into cars and pedestrians in the parking area, and struck an elderly woman as well as her son-in law, both of whom died later.

A Navy Officer was sentenced in October to serve three years in prison. This is a sentence family members and U.S. lawmakers have called too harsh in light of the circumstances. Alkonis also was willing to pay the victims $1.65 million in Restitution.

The official also said they were aware that the Biden administration is working “to come up with a solution that is compassionate that is in line with the rules of law.” There was no response from Biden or Kishida to inquiries about Alkonis in the White House, and outside the White House’s gates, more than two dozen people gathered to demand Alkonis’ release.

Kishida was in conversation with the Vice-President Kamala Harris on Friday before his meeting with Biden.