Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Japan and South Korea this week, beginning with a several-day visit to Tokyo for the memorial service honoring Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
. Harris departed from Joint Base Andrews on Sunday, and is set to arrive Monday in the nation's capital city.
Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan are inching toward a reconciliation that would heal some of the wounds left from World War II, with the U.S. gingerly trying to nudge along the process. And there's resentment over a new U.S. law that makes electric vehicles built outside of North America ineligible for subsidies.
Police officers and firefighters investigate at the site where a man, who was protesting a state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, set himself on fire in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 21, 2022.Harris, who is leading a delegation of current and former U.S. officials to the funeral, plans to spend three nights in Tokyo. She is expected to meet with Kishida, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Mr. Biden met separately with each leader, and the U.S. is eager to see the two allies resolve their issues as it seeks a united front against China.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , outraging Beijing, which responded by holding military exercises. Although Chinese leaders have said they seek peaceful reunification with Taiwan, the exercises are a reminder of the possibility that Beijing could use force.
More controversy awaits Harris in South Korea, where there's outrage over new U.S. rules that make electric cars built outside of North America ineligible for U.S. government subsidies. The policy was included in the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark piece of legislation that includes nearly $375 billion for climate change initiatives.