When Yoshihide Suga succeeded Shinzo Abe as prime minister last September, some experts expressed concern about his lack of foreign policy experience, calling him a "novice at diplomacy." Separately, some Japanese government officials have worried that U.S. President Joe Biden might replicate former President Barack Obama's stance towards China, which was perceived as overly accommodating. Thus, when Suga and Biden met in Washington on April 16, it was not simply an opportunity to set the tone for the future of U.S.-Japan relations, it was also a political test for Suga and a chance for Bid…READ FULL ARTICLE
