Biden starts Japan tour as protesters take to streets

TOKYO - US President Joe Biden arrived in Japan on Sunday, as about 750 protesters took to the streets here against the planned US-Japan summit and the summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad).

A series of meetings are scheduled during Biden's three-day visit to Japan, following his trip to South Korea, including the summit of the Quad group involving Japan, Australia and India, during which the United States is expected to hustle the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

Japanese public opinion, however, seemingly does not favor the IPEF too much.

Japanese media reported that the IPEF has no specific content such as tariff reduction, so it cannot bring visible economic benefits to participating members.

Takakage Fujita, director-general of a civil group dedicated to upholding and developing the Murayama Statement, said in an interview with Xinhua that the United States cooked up the IPEF to use Japan and ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries for the benefit of its own.

Fujita said that if the US truly wants to pursue peace and development in Asia, it should follow a coordinated and friendly approach and come up with decent economic ideas.

On Sunday afternoon, around 750 people took to the streets of Tokyo to demonstrate against the upcoming US-Japan summit and the summit of the Quad group.

Tokyo authorities beefed up security and traffic control, mobilizing around 18,000 police officers.