© BloombergYoshihide Suga, Japan's prime minister, wears a protective mask as he delivers his policy speech during an extraordinary session at the lower house of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. Suga set an ambitious target for his country to become carbon neutral by 2050 in his first policy speech to parliament since taking office as premier last month.
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden assured Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that the security treaty between the two countries covers East China Sea islands also claimed by China.
Suga told reporters the commitment came in a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday morning in Japan, during which they agreed to meet as soon as possible and to work together on a range of issues, including the coronavirus.
Japan seeks assurances on the scope of the security treaty every time the U.S. picks a new leader. Article Five of the treaty obliges both parties to "act to meet the common danger" in the event of an armed attack on either party in territory administered by Japan. The U.S. recognizes the disputed islands as administered by Japan, rather than saying they are part of the country.
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Chinese and Japanese government vessels constantly chase one another around the islands, which are known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Like many other leaders of major democracies, Suga went ahead with the call despite the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump continues to dispute the results of the election. Suga's predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was the first leader of a major country to meet Trump after his 2016 election, flying to New York for talks before he was inaugurated.
In the aftermath of World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution that only allows for defensive weapons. The country relies on the U.S. for a nuclear deterrent against regional adversaries, including China and North Korea.
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