South Korea’s Moon to be second leader and second Asian welcomed by Biden
- 3 years ago
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday will become the second world leader welcomed by President Joe Biden at the White House, and the second from Asia, a sign of the importance Washington attaches to the region as it seeks to counter China’s influence.
As well as the perennial North Korea nuclear issue, the allies will discuss regional security more broadly, cooperation in high-tech industries such as microchips, efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic and ways to strengthen action on climate change.
Moon, under pressure at home over his pandemic response, will be hoping to secure an agreement with Washington for stop-gap supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, while the Biden administration is looking for enhanced climate commitments from Seoul.
Washington would also like to see a forthright statement from Moon on China’s ever more assertive behavior in the region. Last month, when Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited, Biden sought to present a united front towards Beijing.
Seoul has been cautious for fear of angering China, its top trade partner, and in a visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, Moon stressed the importance of a stable Washington-Beijing relationship and noted China’s importance in connection with Korean Peninsula affairs.
The two leaders will have talks and then hold a joint news conference at 5 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Moon approached his Washington visit hoping it would provide fresh impetus to his dream of building peace with North Korea, but U.S. officials, while saying that North Korea will be a major part of the discussions, have played down the prospect of a dramatic fresh initiative.
Source: Reuters
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