U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated Washington's unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan during a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the White House on Friday.

Reaffirming the pledge, Biden said he hopes the two sides will discuss ways to advance their shared values.

Kishida meanwhile pointed to the challenging and complex security climate that the two allies face and said his country's new defense strategy will contribute to strengthening deterrence capabilities together with the U.S.

Biden and Kishida last sat down for in-person talks two months ago on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Cambodia in November.

It is the first visit to Washington by the Japanese leader since he took office in May 2021.