U.S. leaders to meet Japanese counterparts next week in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet their Japanese counterparts next week in Washington, the Biden administration said on Friday.

Biden will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida next Friday in Washington, the White House said. Blinken and Austin will co-host the 2023 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Wednesday, the State Department said in a separate statement.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Susan Heavey in Washington)