>> mr. speaker, the prime minister of japan.

the speaker: members of congress, i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you his excellency, kishida fumio, the prime minister of japan.

prime minister kishida: mr. speaker, madam vice president, honorable members of the united states congress. distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. thank you. i never get such nice applause from the japanese. let me introduce my wife, yuko,

in the gallery. the fact that i married yuko should give you great confidence in all my decisions. i'm truly honored to speak here in this citadel of democracy and before you the representatives of the american people. nine years ago the late prime minister abe, who was a close friend of mine, stood in this very spot and gave an address titled, towards an alliance of hope. i was foreign minister in his

cabinet at that time and i was deeply struck to witness the bond between our two countries. since childhood i have felt a connection to the united states. perhaps because i spent my first three years of elementary school at p.s.-20 and p.s.-13 in queens, new york. even though i was the only japanese student there, my classmates kindly accepted me and helped me immerse myself in a new culture. we arrived in the fall of 1963.

and for several years my family lived like americans. my father would take the subway where he worked as a trade officer. we rooted for the mets and the yankees and eight hot dogs at the coney island. on vacation we would go niagara falls or here to washington, d.c. and i remember things that were strange and funny to a little japanese boy like watching the "flint stones" i still miss that

show. although i could never translate yabba dadda do. after 60 years, i have a message for the good people of queens. thank you for making my family and me feel so welcomed. i have never forgotten this. so, i speak to you today as a long and close friend of the united states. i know that the national parks office is undertaking, we have a

project in the tidal basin. as a gesture of friendship, japan will provide 250 cherry trees that will be planted there in anticipation of the 25th year anniversary of your independence. as you might also remember, the 1964 world's fair was held in queens. its similar bomb was a -- symbol was a giant unisphere and the theme was peace through understanding. and yet we also know that peace

requires more than understanding. it requires resolve. the u.s. shaped the international order in the post-war world through economic and technological power. it championed freedom and democracy. it encouraged the stability and prosperity of nations, including japan. and when necessary, it made noble sacrifices to fulfill its commitment to a better world.

the united states policy was based on the premise that humanity does not want to live oppressed by an authoritarian state where you were tracked and surveilled and denied from expressing what is in your heart and on your mind. you believe that freedom is the oxygen of humanity. the world needs the united states to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations. and yet, as we meet here today,

i detect an undercurrent of self-doubt amongst some americans about what your role in the world should be. this self-doubt is rising at a time when our world is at history's turning point. the post-cold war era is already behind us and we are now at an inflexion point that will define the next stage of human history. the international order that the u.s. worked for generations to build is facing new challenges. challenges from those with values and principles very different from ours.

freedom and democracy are currently under threat around the globe. climate change has caused natural disasters, poverty and displacement on a global scale. and the covid-19 pandemic, all humanity suffered. rapid advances in a.i. technology have resulted in a battle over the soul of a.i. that is raising -- racing between its promise and its perils. the balance of economic power is shifting. the global south plays a greater role in responding to challenges and opportunities and calls for a larger voice.

turning to japan's own neighborhood, china's current external stance and military actions present unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge not only to the peace and security of japan, but to the peace and stability of the international community at large. while such a challenge from china continues, our commitment to upholding a free and open international order based on the rule of law, as well as peace, will continue to be the defining agenda going forward. as a hiroshima native, i have

devoted my political career to bringing about a world without nuclear weapons. for years i have worked to revitalize the nonproliferation treaty regime so that we can gain momentum in pursuit of it's as operation -- it's as operation -- the asperation. but there is an imminent danger of nuclear weapons proliferation in east asia. north korea's nuclear and missile program is a direct threat. the issue of abductions by north korea remains a critical issue.

north korea's provocations have impact beyond the region. its a has exported -- it has also exported its ballistic missiles to support russia's war of aggression against ukraine. greatly increasing the suffering of the ukrainian people. russia's unprovoked, unjust and brutal war of aggression against ukraine has entered its third year. as i often say, the ukraine of today may be the east asia of tomorrow.

furthermore, russia continues to threaten the use of nuclear weapons, which has contributed to worldwide concern that yet another catastrophe by nuclear weapons use is a real possibility. in this reality, close coordination between japan and the u.s. is required more than ever to ensure that the deterrence our allies provide remeans credible and resilient -- remains credible and resilient. new forms of oppression are

being imposed on the world. freedom is being suppressed through technologies. social media is censored, monitored and controlled. there are growing cases of economic coercion and so-called death trap diplomacy whereby the economic dependency of nations is exploited and weaponized. facing such rapidly changing pressures, how do we continue to safeguard our common values? i want to address those americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of

being the country that has upheld the international order almost single-handedly. i understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders. although the world looks to your leadership, the u.s. should not be expected to do it all, unaided and on your own. yes. the leadership of the united states is indispensable. without u.s. support, how long before hopes of ukraine would collapse -- the hopes of ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from moscow?

without the presence of the united states, how long before the indo-pacific would face even harsher realities? ladies and gentlemen, as the united states' closest friend, the people of japan are with you side by side to assure the survival of liberty.

not just for our people, but for all people. i am not saying this out of my strong attachment to america. i'm an idealist, but a realist too. the defense of freedom, democracy and the rule of law is in the national interests of japan. the japanese people are fully committed to these ends. i do not want to leave our children a society where human rights were suppressed, where political self-determination is

denied, where our lives are monitored by digital technology. i know you don't either. upholding these values is both a cost and a benefit for our two countries, as well as for the generations to come across the world. right now japanese and u.s. service members are working side by side to deter aggression and ensure peace. i admire them. i thank them. and i know i speak for all of us when i say, they have the gratitude of both our nations.

on the spaceship called freedom and democracy, japan is proud to be your shipmate. we are on deck. we are on task. and we are ready to do what is necessary. the democratic nations of the world must have all hands on deck. i'm here to say that japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder with the united states.

you are not alone. we are with you. japan has changed over the years. we have transformed ourselves from reticent ally recovering from the devastation of world war ii to a strong committed ally looking outward to the world. japan has transformed its national security strategy. uncertainty about the future stability of the indo-pacific

region caused us to change our policies and our very mindset. i, myself, have stood at the forefront in making our bilateral alliance even stronger. in 2022, we announced that we would secure substantial increase of our defense budget by fiscal year 2027 to 2% of g.d.p. possess counter strike capability and improve cybersecurity. today deterrence that our alliance provides is stronger

than ever. bolstered by u.s. extended day transfor japan. japan has taken strong sanc sanctionsence russia -- against russia and the wake of its aggression against ukraine. we have announced over $12 billion in aid to ukraine, including anti-drone detection systems. this is a part of nato's aid package. and, yes, we were even working

with nato on the other side of the world from us. i might add that in february i helped a devastated ukraine get through this agonizing times, i hosted the conference for ukraine's economic growth and reconstruction. japan will continue to stand with ukraine.

as the geopolitical landscape changed and as japan grew in confidence, we expanded our outlook beyond that of being america's closest ally. we first became regional partner of the united states and now we have become your global partner. never has our relationship been so close. our vision so united. today our partnership goes beyond the bilateral. examples include trilateral and quad lateral cooperation among the u.s., japan, the republic of

korea, australia, india, and the philippines, as well as cooperation through the g-7. leaders of the u.s., republic of korea, and japan convened at camp david last summer to inaugurate a new era of our partnership. from these various endeavors emerges a multilayered regional framework where our alliance serves as a force multiplier. together with these like-minded

countries, we are working to realize a free and open indo-pacific. here in this chamber we should have strong bipartisan support for these efforts. japan believes a u.s. leadership and we also believe in the u.s. economy. japan is the number direct investor in the united states. japanese companies have invested

around $800 billion creating almost one million american jobs. these are good jobs with half a million jobs in manufacturing sector alone. at home i am embarking on a set of initiatives called new form of captivism to drive the japanese economy. the public and private sectors are joining hands to transform the social challenges we face into engines of growth. wage increases, capital

investment, stock prices all have attained levels not seen for 30 years. japan -- japanese economy is now making strides by capitalizing on these unprecedented and major changes. a growth oriented japanese economy should also spark even greater investment in the united states. and we can then help boost the global economy to steer it toward a strong growth trajectory in the years to come. just yesterday, president biden

and i demonstrated our commitment to leading the world on the development of the next generation of emerging technologies such as a.i., quantum, semiconductors, biotechnology, and clean energy. and the scope of our bilateral cooperation expands to space as well. illuminating our path and more hopeful tomorrow. the tv broadcast of apollo 11's lunar landing of 1969 is still sheared into my hemry -- memory.

japan's lunar mission in january achieved the first pinpoint landing in history. yesterday president biden and i announced that the japanese national will be the first non-american astronaut to land on the moon on the future ar artimus mission. and we have two astronauts with us today. would mr. hoshida and mr. tani

please stand. mr. hoshida has flown to space three times. and served as commander of the international space station for five months in 2021. and next to him is mr. daniel tani. he's a retired japanese american astronaut who has conducted six space walks and in his two missions logged over 50 million

miles. which is a lot of points. mr. hoshida and mr. tani are living symbols of our cooperation in space. and we will have many more such collaborations in the future. thank you, gentlemen. let me close with this final thought. i want you to know how seriously japan takes its role as the united states' closest ally.

together we carry a large responsibility. i believe that we are essential to peace. vital to freedom. and fundamental to prosperity. bonded by our belief, i pledge to you japan's firm alliance and enduring friendship. global partners for the future. we are your global partner today and we will be your global

partner in the years ahead. thank you for inviting me. thank you for your hospitality. and thank you for the role you play in the world.

the speaker: the purpose of the joint meeting having been completed, the chair declares the joint meeting of the two houses now dissolved. the house will continue in