| It's been a hectic week. U.S. President Joe Biden made his first official visit to South Korea and Japan from May 20-24. Before Biden's visit, Anthony Albanese was elected as prime minister of Australia. He officially took office on the 23rd and flew to Japan to join the first Quad summit since the Ukraine war. From an editor's point of view, Biden's visit was more fruitful than I had expected, and we ended up publishing many stories during the president's stay in Tokyo. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was officially inaugurated by 13 countries, the Quad summit took place and the U.S. announced it would back a bid from Japan to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, should that body undertake reforms. Among all the remarks made during the week, the most striking, by Biden, was a one-word answer to the question, "Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, if it comes to that?" At a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, he answered, "Yes." The short reply was interpreted as the end of the "strategic ambiguity" policy concerning Taiwan, although Biden added, "Our policy toward Taiwan has not changed at all." Our Big Story focuses on Kishida's "new realist" diplomacy, based on an exclusive interview he granted to Nikkei. One thing I would like to add is how Kishida holds to his beliefs. He highly respects the tradition of the habatsu, or faction, of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that he belongs to. At the same news conference, Kishida cited the words of John F. Kennedy to then Japanese Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda, the founder of his Kochikai habatsu: "The Pacific Ocean does not separate Japan and the United States. Rather, it unites us." Although Kishida himself is viewed as a pacifist who cherishes the idea of a world without nukes, he firmly believes Japan's relations with the U.S. are the basis of peace along the Pacific rim. We also have a terrific IPEF explainer and another exclusive interview, with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, one of the 13 inaugural members of the IPEF. Lee clearly supports China's bid for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). His skillful diplomacy in striking a balance between China and the U.S. might be praised and admired by other Asian leaders feeling pressured to choose one way or the other. This week's Business Spotlight features a billionaire who is actively working to decarbonize Australia's biggest emitter, AGL Energy. Our Asia regional correspondent, Marwaan Macan-Markar, analyzes Sri Lanka's ruling Rajapaksa clan in Asia Insight. And our new Bangkok correspondent, Francesca Regalado, interviews the Governor of the Bank of Thailand, who is resisting pressure to raise rates. For weekend reading, I recommend this week's Tea Leaves column on Japan's shadow aesthetics. It is better to be read online, where the story is adorned with many impressive photos. I would like you to compare the beautiful picture of Happo-en garden, where Kishida treated Biden to dinner, with the photo of something rather uglier, Tokyo's Kabukicho nightlife district. It is surprising even to a Japanese like me that both places mingle together in the same nation. Stay safe and healthy, and have a wonderful weekend! Shigesaburo Okumura Editor-in-chief, Nikkei Asia Follow me on Twitter @ShigesaburoO
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