Chronologies
US - Japan
Chronology from Jan 2021 to May 2021
: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley meets Chief of Staff Joint Staff Gen. Yamazaki Koji and Chairman of the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Won-in Choul in Honolulu.
: Suga declares a third state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
: Biden nominates Ely Ratner to be assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
: Biden expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults in the United States.
: Biden and Suga hold a US-Japan summit meeting in Washington, DC. Joint Statement, Fact Sheet on Competitiveness and Resilience (CoRe) Partnership, Fact Sheet on Climate Partnership
: Suga visits the United States to meet with Biden.
: Suga publishes an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
: China sends 25 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
: Chinese aircraft carrier and five escort vessels pass by Okinawa en route to the Pacific.
: NSA Sullivan, National Security Secretariat Secretary General Kitamura, and Korea’s National Security Advisor Suh Hoon hold first US-Japan-Korea Trilateral National Security Advisors’ Dialogue in Annapolis, Maryland.
: FM Motegi and US Trade Representative Tai speak by telephone.
: Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announces sanctions on two Chinese officials in response to the human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
: Suga lifts the state of emergency in the four remaining prefectures (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba).
: Secretary of Defense Austin meets Indian Defense Minister Raksha Mantra Shri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.
: Katherine Tai is confirmed by the Senate to be US Trade Representative.
: Secretaries Blinken and Austin meet with Suga before the 2+2 meeting.
: FM Motegi and DM Kishi Nobuo meet Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin to hold a Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (“2+2”) meeting in Tokyo. Joint Statement, Press Conference
: Secretaries Blinken and Austin travel to Japan for the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (“2+2”) meeting in Tokyo.
: Suga, Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold first Japan-US-Australia-India (“Quad”) video conference. Joint Statement
: Acting Assistant Secretary of State Sung Kim and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey give a briefing ahead of the secretaries’ trip to Japan and Korea.
: Secretary Blinken gives a speech outlining the Biden administration’s vision for US foreign policy.
: Biden publishes the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance.
: Suga lifts the state of emergency in six prefectures (Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Fukuoka).
: G7 Foreign Ministers release a joint statement on the situation in Burma.
: The United States officially rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement.
: FM Motegi, Secretary Blinken, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar speak by telephone in a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers.
: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sung Kim, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro, and Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk hold US-Japan-Korea meeting on North Korea.
: Secretary of State Blinken and Foreign Minister Motegi speak by telephone.
: Alejandro Mayorkas is confirmed by Senate to be secretary of Homeland Security.
: Suga extends the state of emergency to March 7 for 10 prefectures.
: Biden and Suga speak by telephone.
: Antony Blinken is confirmed by the Senate to be secretary of State.
: Foreign Minister Motegi and Secretary of State Blinken speak by telephone.
: Janet Yellen is confirmed by the Senate to be secretary of the Treasury.
: Biden publishes article in Foreign Affairs on US foreign policy.
: Lloyd Austin is confirmed by the Senate to be secretary of Defense.
: China passes Coast Guard Law authorizing its coast guard to use force in defense of Chinese territorial claims.
: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Security Secretariat Secretary General Kitamura Shigeru speak by telephone.
: Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th US president.
: Biden announces the US will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.
: Biden restores US ties with the World Health Organization.
: Avril Haines is confirmed by the Senate to be Director of National Intelligence.
: Biden appoints Ely Ratner principal adviser on China in the Department of Defense.
: Biden appoints Campbell as deputy assistant to the President and coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the National Security Council.
: Suga declares a state of emergency for seven more prefectures (Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Gifu, Aichi, Fukuoka, and Tochigi) through Feb. 7.
: Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi publish article in Foreign Affairs on the US role in Asia.
: Suga declares a second state of emergency due to COVID-19 in four prefectures (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba) through Feb. 7.
: Suga declares state of emergency due to COVID-19 in the Tokyo metropolitan area.