The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came to North Carolina April 11-12 to discuss jobs, business investment and the country’s relationship with the Southeast United States. Kishida landed in the Tar Heel State on Thursday, April 11 after attending a White House State Dinner with the Bidens and many other star-studded guests. On Friday, Kishida traveled around the state with Gov. Roy Cooper to talk jobs and business investments, according to a press release. To solidify the leaders' relationship, Cooper proclaimed April 12 as North Carolina and Japan Friendship Day....

China Feels Boxed In by the U.S. but Has Few Ways to Push Back China seeks to project military power in the seas around its coastline, yet also faces pressure to mend relations with neighbors for the good of its economy. President Biden with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan at the White House on Thursday. Yuri Gripas for The New York Times President Biden’s effort to build American security alliances in China’s backyard is likely to reinforce the Chinese leader Xi...

China's coast guard sent a flotilla of ships into the territorial waters of the disputed Senkaku Islands on Friday, less than 48 hours after President Joe Biden reaffirmed the U.S.' "unwavering commitment" to defend the Japan-controlled territory from an attack. A brief statement on its website and social media channels said the patrol led by the Chinese maritime law enforcement vessel 2502, a 5,500-ton Shuoshi II-class cutter, was "to protect China's rights." The uninhabited island group, which Beijing calls the Diaoyu Islands, are located in the East China Sea, roughly...

RALEIGH, N.C. — After spending a few days in Washington emphasizing global security concerns, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to tour around North Carolina on Friday to spotlight a different interest: his nation’s title as the state’s biggest foreign investor. Kishida, who has been Japan’s prime minister since 2021, is scheduled to visit two Japanese companies and North Carolina State University after arriving Thursday night, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office. In between, Kishida plans to have lunch at the governor’s mansion in a historic first for the...

Japan plans to help adorn Washington, D.C., with even more of the capital's famed cherry blossoms, a gift the Asian nation said will continue to serve as a token of an enduring friendship. President Joe Biden confirmed news of the 250 new trees on Wednesday after welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida back to the White House. “Like our friendship … these trees are timeless, inspiring and thriving,” Biden said at the ceremony. The gesture is meant to commemorate the United States' 250th birthday in...

President Biden received a double whammy of bad economic news this week with two separate Labor Department reports showing America’s prolonged battle with inflation is still ongoing and undercutting his reelection message. On Thursday, the Producer Price Index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level, rose 2.1% in March compared to a year earlier, the biggest gain since April 2023 and a sign that economic pressures could keep inflation elevated. While the increase was below expectations it is up from a 1.6% gain in February. A day earlier, the Consumer...