日米首脳、２１日にテレビ会談　コロナ、気候、新興技術で連携

　【ワシントン時事】米ホワイトハウスは１６日、バイデン大統領が２１日に岸田文雄首相とテレビ会談を行うと発表した。覇権主義的な動きを強める中国に対処するため、日米同盟を一層強化する方針を確認。日米にオーストラリア、インドを加えた４カ国の枠組み「クアッド」の連携推進も協議する。
　サキ大統領報道官は声明で、「会談では日米同盟がインド太平洋地域と世界の平和と安定の礎であることを強調する」と指摘。「大統領は岸田首相と共に『自由で開かれたインド太平洋』を推進し、新型コロナウイルスや気候変動への対処、新興技術などの重要分野で協力を拡大することを楽しみにしている」と述べた。
　松野博一官房長官は１７日の記者会見で「日米同盟のさらなる強化、自由で開かれたインド太平洋の実現や核兵器のない世界に向けた取り組みを含む地球規模課題への対応に向けて連携を深めていく」と語った。（2022/01/17-11:17）

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet virtually with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, the White House said Sunday.
   In the meeting, the two leaders are expected to affirm that Japan and the United States will further strengthen their alliance to counter China's hegemonic ambitions. They are also likely to discuss the promotion of cooperation under the Quad framework, which also includes Australia and India.
   "The meeting will highlight the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, which is the cornerstone of peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and around the world," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
   She also said, "President Biden looks forward to working with Prime Minister Kishida to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and to expand our close cooperation on critical issues like combatting COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis and partnering on new and emerging technologies, including through the Quad."
   After Kishida took office in October last year, he explored the possibility of visiting Washington at an early date to hold a summit meeting in person with Biden. Hampered by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the novel coronavirus around the globe, however, the prime minister gave up on a plan to visit the United States before Monday's convening of an ordinary session of the Diet, Japan's parliament.