U.S. Edition
Tokyo (CNN) – Pressed on whether he would use military force to defend an obscure set of islands controlled by Japan, President Barack Obama offered a robust and sometimes testy defense of his foreign policy as it applies to Ukraine and Syria.
At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, the President said the U.S. security pact with Japan does extend to the Senkaku islands that are at the heart of a heated dispute with China.
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Tokyo (CNN) - President Barack Obama has some new high tech friends.
The President played soccer Thursday with a Japanese robot during a stop at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, or Miraikan. The visit was aimed at highlighting the renewal of a 10 year scientific collaboration between the two countries, and to show off Japan's latest technologies.
Hong Kong (CNN) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will visit Japan and China this week as a dispute seethes over Beijing's recent claim of a large swath of airspace in the region.
The Chinese declaration less than two weeks ago has prompted a war of words between governments and flights through the contested air zone by military planes from the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.
The uneasy situation in the skies over the East China Sea has raised fears that a midair incident could cause circumstances to spiral out of control. It has also fueled concern about how far China is willing to go to pursue its interests in the Asia-Pacific region and push back against U.S. influence.
(CNN) – Caroline Kennedy on Tuesday stepped before an emperor and into a new global limelight, along a path paved by her father.
Arriving at Tokyo's Imperial Palace in a maroon horse-drawn carriage, the 55-year-old presented Emperor Akihito with her credentials to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Updated 8:33 p.m. ET, 11/12/2013
(CNN) – In a private ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the State Department, Caroline Kennedy was sworn in by Secretary of State John Kerry as U.S. ambassador to Japan.
The event was closed to media, but the State Department released a photo showing a smiling Kennedy dressed in a simple black dress, her right hand raised, her left resting on what looked like a Bible held by her husband, Edwin Schlossberg. Nearby, their son John "Jack" Schlossberg looked on, wearing a dark suit, hands in pockets, his shock of dark hair an uncanny reminder of his deceased uncle, John Kennedy Jr., Caroline's brother. FULL POST
(CNN) – Caroline Kennedy has been asked to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Japan and is being vetted for the post, a Democrat familiar with the discussions told CNN on Monday.
Kennedy, the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, was a top backer of President Barack Obama during both of his presidential campaigns and served as the co-chair of his vice presidential search committee in 2008. FULL POST
Washington (CNN) – In an apparent swipe at Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama interjected his voice Monday into the back and forth between his re-election campaign and that of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, ahead of Tuesday's anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death.
Obama was asked his thoughts about the killing during a press conference at the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and seemingly capitalized on comments Romney made about the al Qaeda leader during his first presidential bid. FULL POST
Washington (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden will depart on August 16 for a trip to China, Mongolia and Japan that will include meetings with China's top leaders, the White House announced Thursday.
The trip to China is at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping as part of planned reciprocal visits by the two nations' top deputies announced earlier this year, the statement said. Xi is considered the likely successor to President Hu Jintao.
Washington (CNN) – Is the United States doing enough to help out Japan as it tries to recover from a catastrophic earthquake and ensuing tsunami?
According to a new national poll, the answer is yes. FULL POST
Washington (CNN) – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday described the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan as "beyond biblical in terms of its proportion."
The "humanitarian loss is so tremendous," Pelosi, D-California, told reporters on Capitol Hill, saying the United States is helping with humanitarian and technical assistance, but it's a "huge order." FULL POST