By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington [US], May 19 (ANI): US President Joe Bidenboarded the Air Force 1 on Thursday (local time) afternoon and is en route forSeoul to embark on a visit to South Korea and Japan — a trip that the WhiteHouse says “comes at a pivotal moment” for his foreign policy agenda.

Shifting focus from Russias invasion of Ukraine, Biden’sforeign agenda will occupy a clear focus on Asia, a message that will beclearly heard in Beijing.

The trip marks the US president’s first trip to Asia sincetaking office. Biden begins his journey in Seoul and wraps the visit in Tokyowhere he would participate in a second in-person Quad summit with hiscounterparts from Australia, India and Japan, that includes Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. They last met in September at the White House.

“The message we’re trying to send on this trip is a messageof an affirmative vision of what the world can look like if the democracies andopen societies of the world stand together to shape the rules of the road, todefine the security architecture of the region, to reinforce strong, powerful,historic alliances, and we think putting that on display over four daysbilaterally with the ROK and Japan, through the Quad, through the Indo-Pacificeconomic framework, it will send a powerful message. We think that message willbe heard everywhere,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan saidWednesday.

Biden’s trip starts in South Korea, where he will meet the country’snewly elected president, Yoon Suk-yeol. The White House clarified that Bidenwill not go to the heavily fortified demilitarized zone separating the Southfrom North Korea. Sullivan also noted that Biden “will see American and Koreantroops standing shoulder to shoulder in defense of our collective security,”however the White House has not released details on where that will occur.

On Sunday Biden will meet Japanese Prime Minister FumioKishida, as well as Japanese Emperor Naruhito. Biden will deliver remarks onMonday in Tokyo about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which willseek to set standards on issues such as labor, the environment, and supplychains.

The US President will be joined in-person by Kishida for theannouncement, and virtually by a number of other Indo-Pacific countries,according to the White House.

On Tuesday leaders of the QUAD will meet for the secondin-person summit. Biden is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with theIndian and Australian leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Biden’spredecessor Donald Trump made a visit to Beijing the centerpiece of on hisfirst Asian trip, but the current president is making a point of concentratingon allies.

Askedto what extent is the message of this trip is a cautionary tale delivered toChina, Sullivan said the message “will be heard in Beijing, but it is not anegative message, and it’s not targeted at any one country.” (ANI)

Thisreport is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds noresponsibility for its content.