U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House on Wednesday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and deterring Chinese aggression in the Pacific.

The two leaders will hold a joint press conference in the White House Rose Garden after the closed-door meeting. They are expected to announce plans to reform the command structure of the U.S. military in Japan, where 54,000 troops are stationed, with the goal of responding to crises more quickly.

Biden and Kishida are also expected to announce Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon landing program, as well as cooperation on joint technology projects.

Biden and his wife, Jill, will host a formal state dinner for Kishida and his wife, Yuko, at the Presidential Palace, which will include a performance by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Kishida is the fifth foreign leader Biden has welcomed for a state visit since taking office in 2021.

The proposed $14.1 billion sale of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. has cast a shadow over diplomatic proceedings in a deal that has become embroiled in protectionist campaign rhetoric ahead of the November U.S. presidential election.

Last month, Biden announced his opposition to the deal, saying the U.S. needed to “maintain strong U.S. steel companies driven by American steelworkers.” Former President Donald Trump, Biden’s likely Republican opponent in the November election, has pledged to block the deal if he is re-elected.

Kishida will attend a trilateral summit with Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday and speak before a joint session of Congress. He will become the second Japanese prime minister to address the U.S. legislative body, following Shinzo Abe in 2015.

Some information for this report comes from the Associated Press, Reuters, and AFP.