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US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga walk through the Colonnade to take part in a joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday. (AFP/Yonhap News)

In their recent summit, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appears to have won US President Joe Biden’s support for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and additional supplies of COVID-19 vaccines produced by US pharmaceutical companies in exchange for an agreement to provide the US with the strong curbs on China that it is asking for.

A joint statement by the two leaders announced Saturday at the White House Rose Garden in Washington said, “President Biden supports Prime Minister Suga’s efforts to hold a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.”

Some observers suggested the use of the phrase “supporting efforts” indicated a somewhat weaker level of support compared with the G7 statement in February, in which the countries said they “support the commitment of Japan” to hold the event.

The Tokyo Olympics are having a direct impact on Suga’s political activities. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the Suga administration considers the success of the Olympics to be a “paramount concern as it sketches out scenarios for dissolving the House of Representatives and holding a general election after the games have been held.”

During his US visit, Suga spoke by telephone Sunday with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to personally request additional supplies of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

The same day, Taro Kono, who oversees vaccines as Japan’s administrative reform minister, explained, “We reached an agreement for enough additional supplies from Pfizer to cover all candidates by the end of September.”

By Kim So-youn, staff reporter

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