The White House stated that Biden met with Yoshihide Suga during the G7 summit and affirmed his support for the promotion of the Tokyo Olympics.

During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday, US President Joe Biden reiterated his support for the Tokyo Olympics and emphasized the need for public health measures to ensure the safety of relevant personnel.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were postponed last year due to the global spread of the coronavirus. However, in the face of opposition from the majority of the public, many Japanese companies and medical staff, it was originally scheduled to open on July 23.

The White House said in a statement that during the G7 summit in the British seaside resort of Cabis Bay, Biden also raised a series of other issues, including COVID-19, North Korea, China and climate change. statement.

It said: “President Biden affirmed his support for taking all necessary public health measures to promote the Tokyo Olympics to protect athletes, staff and spectators.”

“President Biden is proud of the American athletes who trained for the Tokyo Olympics. They will participate in the competition in the best traditions of the Olympic spirit,” it said.

These comments echoed similar statements made by Yoshihide Suga during his visit to Washington in April.

Although Tokyo is already battling the fourth wave of infections and is in a state of emergency, the Japanese government and organizers have stated that they will continue to move forward-unless, as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member put it, “the end of the world”.

The chairman of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee Hashimoto Seiko said on Friday that if the G7 countries can support the Summer Olympics as planned, Tokyo 2020 will be “indebted.”