Japanese PM Suga to be first to visit Biden at White House in April

March 12 (UPI) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will be the first foreign leader to visit President Joe Biden in-person at the White House when he visits Washington, D.C., next month.

For Suga, who was elected prime minister in September, it will be his first trip to the United States and the second outside of Japan.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato announced the visit during a news conference Friday.

A specific date wasn't announced but Suga's visit is expected to occur in the first half of April.

At the meeting, Biden and Suga are expected to talk about the coronavirus pandemic, Japan's alliance with the United States and growing concerns over China.

Biden and Suga were part of the Quad summit on Friday with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The leaders discussed various issues, including COVID-19, security and independence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Japan next week.