US prez Joe Biden kick-starts his Asian trip to boost Indo-Pacific ties

US President Joe Biden kick-started his first leg of the Asian tour with his visit to South Korea on Friday as Washington looks to boost its alliance in the region which has been witnessing rising Chinese commercial and military power.

Notably, this is Biden’s first trip to the Asian region after he became the president.

The president landed at the Osan Air Base, south of Seoul. He is expected to hold talks with his recently elected counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol on some pressing issues, including North Korea.

Moreover, there are reports that North Korea may be using his trip to test an underground nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile.

According to CNN, which has quoted officials, Pyongyang has been getting ready to fuel an intercontinental ballistic missile, one of the key final stages in preparing for a test launch.

The White House said it has prepared for all contingencies, including a test occurring while Biden is on the Korean peninsula.

Biden will also visit US and South Korean troops, but will not make the traditional presidential trek to the fortified frontier known as the DMZ between South and North Korea, the White House said.

Hours ahead of Biden arriving, Suk-yeol signalled a warm welcome, tweeting: "A mountain shows its way to the summit to those who seek it. I am confident the ROK-US alliance that seeks to uphold the values of democracy and human rights shall only elevate in the future."

After his three-day trip, Biden will next travel to Japan for bilateral talks with the country's prime minister Fumio Kishida.

Watch |US President Joe Biden in South Korea to reaffirm key alliance

Apart from that, he will also be meeting the leaders of Japan, Australia and India for the Quad gathering and launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework(IPEF), an agreement that seeks to set standards on supply chains, worker protections, decarbonisation and anti-corruption.

Earlier this week at a White House reception, Biden said that his trip was intended "to affirm the importance of our Indo-Pacific alliances" and "celebrate the indispensable partnerships" in the region, including through cultural ties.

Before his trip began, the White House said that Biden’s aim is to send a “powerful message” to China and others about what the world could look like if democracies “stand together to shape the rules of the road”.

Biden’s Asia trip is also “fundamentally about” building personal ties with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters en route to South Korea.

“In both cases, he’s looking for the opportunity to just spend time to get to know these leaders … so that when they need to pick up the phone in a crisis or to respond to a major world event, there’s a baseline of trust and understanding and almost like a common operating language,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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