WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today released the following statement after the White House announced President Joe Biden will travel to South Korea and Japan in May, including a meeting in Tokyo with the leaders of America’s Quad partners of Japan, India, and Australia:
“As a former U.S. Ambassador to Japan who facilitated three presidential visits during the Trump Administration, I fully understand the important signal that President Biden’s visit will send not only to the people of Japan, South Korea, and our other allies and partners, but also to our adversaries in the Indo-Pacific. Amid Communist China’s growing military threats and predatory behavior and North Korea’s escalating nuclear and missile provocations, the President can demonstrate America’s enduring focus on preserving and strengthening the free and open Indo-Pacific. Having recently led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Japan, where we met with the Prime Minister, members of his cabinet, influential parliamentarians, and business leaders, I see many opportunities for the United States to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, the U.S.-ROK alliance, and our strategic Quad partnership.”
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