Japan, South Korea and the U.S. have all warned that North Korea appears ready to conduct its seventh nuclear blast — and first since 2017 — at any time.
The unveiling came as leader Kim Jong Un ordered the boosted production of "weapon-grade nuclear materials."
The launch of two short-range missiles came as a U.S. aircraft carrier held joint drills with the South Korean Navy in waters to the south of the Korean Peninsula.
While Kishida was able to contrast himself with Xi and boost his own global profile, the affect the trip will have on his popularity at home remains uncertain.
The Japanese leader's unannounced visit for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored Tokyo's support for the war-torn country.
Kishida's newly unveiled plan to assist developing nations was widely seen as a bid to counter Beijing’s attempts to expand its influence among those countries.
Pyongyang fired off a short-range ballistic missile Sunday, Tokyo and Seoul said, days before the U.S. and South Korea were due to wrap up large-scale military drills.
Seoul is eyeing measures to normalize the deal, a report said, with an official letter detailing the move set to be delivered to Tokyo soon.
Kishida will visit India from Sunday to Wednesday, with a key speech on Japan’s regional policy and bilateral summit with Modi planned for Monday.
The visit to Japan by Yoon is the first by a South Korean president for a bilateral summit since Lee Myung-bak traveled to Tokyo more than 11 years ago.
