Joe Biden plans several stops during a visit to Asia this spring, which will be his first to the region as president and include a summit with three key regional allies in Japan, a senior administration official has revealed.
The official brushed off questions about whether the Ukraine crisis could distract the administration’s attention from Asia, saying: “We continue prioritising our Indo-Pacific focus and will have more to come.”
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, declined to give details of the other stops in the region, which Biden’s administration has declared its priority as it seeks to push back against China’s expanding power and influence.
US officials have said Biden has accepted an invitation to visit Japan in late spring to attend the summit of the Quad, which groups Japan, the US, Australia and India, but details were still being worked out.
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday the trip could be in May, with concerns over China and North Korea on top of the agenda, and that Washington was looking into having Biden visit South Korea at the same time.
- Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara
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