Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and US President Joe Biden are trumpeting the strength of their alliance. They said their countries are bound together as "global partners" and agreed to even deeper cooperation.

Biden welcomed Kishida for a summit at the White House on Wednesday. The two leaders have both been forced to wade into global conflicts. They took up the challenges of how to counter Russia, North Korea and China.

Biden told Kishida that their partnership is a "cornerstone" of peace, security and prosperity. He said the alliance has never been stronger in their entire history.

Kishida said, "Japan and the United States are now at the forefront in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law."

They agreed to strengthen cooperation in economic security and defense, which includes modernizing their command structure to better communicate and coordinate.

Biden said, "We discussed today to improve our cooperation and are purely about defense and readiness. It's not aimed at any one nation or threat to the region."

Both leaders underscored the importance to continue a dialogue with China. Biden welcomed Japan's attempts to initiate a dialogue with North Korea, and Kishida said such a summit could be "beneficial" to the peace and stability in the region.

Kishida said, "We must fulfill our responsibilities together to create a world where human dignity is upheld. And Japan will always stand firm with the United States."

He will speak more about the alliance on Thursday when he addresses a joint session of Congress.