ISTANBUL: US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks on Saturday focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and addressing regional security concerns, according to a White House statement. Taking place ahead of a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), which also involves Australia and India, the meeting covered a range of security, economic, and diplomatic issues. "The President underscored that the US-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of regional peace and prosperity," the White House said, noting progress in the partnership since an earlier visit to Washington by Kishida in April 2024. Both leaders reportedly welcomed developments in the trilateral Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) partnership and discussed maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait, which has been the scene of heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei. The statement indicated that Biden and Kishida addressed their respective diplomatic approaches towards China, expressing concern about its a ctivities in the South China Sea. Discussions also covered the development and protection of critical technologies, such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, as well as strategies to counter economic coercion, the White House said. "The two leaders committed to sustain efforts to take the US-Japan Alliance to new heights," the statement concluded, emphasizing the ongoing partnership between the two nations. Source: Anadolu Agency