Japanese prime minister says he expects to invite Biden to Olympics

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that he expects to invite President Biden to the Tokyo Olympics, which will begin on July 23.

Suga told reporters that he plans to invite Biden when he visits the White House on April 6, The Associated Press reported.

Suga’s visit to the White House next month will be the first in-person meeting Biden will have with a foreign official. Everyone involved with the meeting will be fully vaccinated from the coronavirus. 

In an effort to prevent the spread of the virus at the Olympics, Japan announced that foreign fans will not be allowed to attend the games.

Tokyo was only recently able to drop its state of emergency over the number of COVID-19 cases the city was experiencing.

Along with Biden, Suga said he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un or Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, at the Olympics.

It is not clear if the two will come to the games and Suga did not say if he would invite them, according to the Associated Press.

North Korea recently fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the country’s first missile test in a year.

Japan was quick to condemn the test and told reporters that North Korea’s missile and nuclear program will be discussed with Biden during the meeting in April.

Japan is still debating how many fans to let into the games, with reports the country is considering a 50 percent cap due to the coronavirus.