While defense issues will figure prominently in Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden*s summit meeting later this week, the two leaders are also expected to announce boosted cooperation on supply chains and cutting-edge technologies 〞 including semiconductors and artificial intelligence 〞 all with an eye on China.

The two leaders will unveil a raft of new agreements, across the defense, security and economic realms, as Kishida visits Washington for a summit Wednesday, where he and Biden will seek to maintain momentum that has taken the U.S.-Japan alliance to fresh highs in recent years.

They will also label the bilateral relationship a ※global partnership§ as they look to bolster their standing at the vanguard of the chipmaking, AI and other advanced-tech sectors while pledging to work closely with other like-minded countries.