Washington CNN —President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for a state visit Wednesday, including a crucial Oval Office meeting, reinforcing his commitment to bolstering vital partnerships in the Indo-Pacific amid a militarily and economically resurgent China. Over 70 items covering a wide array of critical sectors are expected to be announced as part of the bilateral meeting between Biden and Kishida, according to senior administration officials. “The idea of switching to a multilateral, lattice-like strategic architecture is to flip the script and isolate China,” this person said. Cherry Blossom diplomacyEven as the leaders plan to announce the lengthy list of defense and diplomatic agreements during the course of their visit, senior administration officials also sought to highlight a more symbolic takeaway. A senior Biden administration official called the original gift of cherry trees from Japan one of the most important diplomatic gifts in US history – second only to the Statue of Liberty, a present from France.

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Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida Fumio, Biden, Kishida, Jake Sullivan, ”, Cherry, “, Donald Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, Carnegie Mellon University, Keio University, University of Washington, Washington State, Tsukuba University, US Steel, American, White, National Park Service, Biden, of, Japan Locations: China, Japan, Australia, Tokyo, Philippines, North Korea, Kishida, Ukraine, United States, Washington, France