Biden to hold joint press conference as part of Japan state visit next week

President Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House next week for a state visit that will include a joint press conference with the two leaders, the administration announced Thursday.

The prime minister will meet with Biden Wednesday to will discuss “efforts to strengthen our political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties so that our Alliance is postured to address evolving challenges and advance our shared vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world,” the White House said.

The state visit had already been on the calendar for April 10, but the White House released a more detailed schedule. There will be an official arrival ceremony in the morning and a bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

Biden and the prime minister will hold a press conference in the Rose Garden in the afternoon, followed by the official state dinner, which typically includes dozens of guests and live entertainment.

State visits generally also include joint press conferences in which a few reporters from U.S. media and the visiting leader’s country are permitted to ask questions.

Biden has cut back on having similar press conferences when other world leaders visit the White House for less formal occasions, and he has generally held fewer solo press conferences than his predecessors.

Aides have noted, however, that the president takes questions from reporters when he is traveling.