Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and wife, Kishida Yuko, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Washington.
State dinners are some of the strongest diplomatic tools the White House can use to honor foreign leaders. The event featuring Japanese Prime MinisterJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez arrive at the Booksellers area of the White House for the State Dinner hosted by President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and wife, Kishida Yuko, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Washington.
“When I became president, I said that the United States would rebuild the muscle of our democratic alliances and we’d stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies again because our alliances are America’s greatest asset,” Bidenearlier Wednesday. “The relationship with Japan is powerful proof of that — that in investing in our alliance and raising our collective ambitions, we yield remarkable results.
Joe Biden has also used musical diplomacy in a previous state dinner with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who even sang a few bars of Don McLean’s “American Pie” following a Broadway star’s rendition of the iconic song.
Japanese American Olympic champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, Microsoft President Brad Smith, Sen. Bill Hagerty , who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Trump administration, and current Ambassador Rahm Emanuel also attended the dinner.