His Majesty meets U.S.President Biden
U.S. President Joe Biden, who arrived in
Japan on May 22, visited the Imperial Palace on the morning of May 23 to
meet with His Majesty the Emperor.
Shortly before 10:00 a.m., President Biden
entered the Imperial Palace through the Main Gate in a convoy of approximately
20 vehicles, led by motorcycle and police cars, and proceeded through the
Nijubashi Bridge to the residence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress.
Shortly after 10:00 a.m., Mr. Biden arrived
at the porte-cochere of the Imperial Palace. At the entrance of the Palace, His
Majesty the Emperor of Japan greeted the President with a beaming smile. When
Mr. Biden got out of the car, wearing a mask, he walked up to His Majesty, who greeted him with
a "Hello" and a smile while gesturing with his hands. After 10:30,
His Majesty guided Mr. Biden to the porte-cochere while talking with him, and
waved him off. They exchanged words in English, and were happy to see each
other again.
According to the Imperial Household Agency,
the meeting was held in a small hall of the Imperial Palace for about 30
minutes in a friendly atmosphere with an interpreter.
At the meeting, the President said,
"We have very strong ties with Japan, and Japan is our most important
partner in the Asia-Pacific region," to which His Majesty the Emperor
responded, "I hope that the President's visit will further enhance the
friendship and goodwill between the United States and Japan.
Regarding the new coronavirus, when the
President said, "This problem has no borders, so countries must work
together to deal with it," the Emperor said that infectious diseases are a
recurring problem throughout history, and that humanity must work hand in hand
to overcome them.”
His Majesty thanked the U.S. for its
support, noting that Mr. Biden had visited the areas affected by the Great East
Japan Earthquake in August 2011 when he was Vice President. His Majesty said,
"I would like to thank the United States for encouraging the victims (of
the disaster) and for the warm support we received from the U.S.". Mr.
Biden reportedly said, "It was a very tragic situation, but I was strongly
impressed by the way the Japanese people responded.”
According to media reports, the meeting
between the Emperor and Mr. Biden was originally proposed to be held in the
afternoon of the 23rd, but was set for the morning at the request of Mr.
Biden's side. It is believed that the purpose of the meeting is to emphasize
the importance the U.S. attaches to its relationship with Japan.
This will be the first meeting between His
Majesty the Emperor and an American president in three years, since President
Trump in 2019, and the first meeting between His Majesty the Emperor and
President Biden since 2013, when he was Crown Prince.
Comments
Post a Comment