Kirby noted that Biden would meet with Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while in Japan as well as Pacific Island leaders. I wouldn’t have to answer these questions if Congress just did the right thing,” Kirby said. “We wouldn’t have to have this conversation. WATCH: White House hosts another round of debt ceiling talks between Biden, congressional leaders focus on the Pacific and counter increasing economic and military assertiveness by China in the region.īiden announced his decision soon after he wrapped up a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies for talks on the debt limit standoff.Įarlier Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed administration officials’ frustration that the debt talks are having an impact on the president’s dealings on the international stage. Since coming into office, Biden has tried to reinvigorate the Quad as part of his broader effort to put greater U.S. The Quad partnership first formed during the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people. president to the island country of more than 9 million people.

The Papua New Guinea stop would have been the first visit by a sitting U.S. READ MORE: Why Americans are holding on to their vehicles longer than everīiden had been scheduled to travel on to Papua New Guinea to meet with Pacific Island leaders and then to Australia for a meeting of the leaders of the Quad partnership, made up of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan. We look forward to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year.” “This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity. “Revitalizing and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the President,” Karine Jean-Pierre said. White House staff broke the news to Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. So I’m confident we’re going to continue to make progress toward avoiding the default and fulfilling America’s responsibility as a leader on the world stage.”īiden said he spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier on Tuesday to inform him he was postponing a visit to Australia and invited him to Washington for an official state visit at a yet-to-be determined date. He added, “The nature of the presidency is addressing many of the critical matters all at once.

“I’m postponing the Australia portion of the trip and my stop in Papua New Guinea in order to be back for the final negotiations with congressional leaders,” Biden said at the start of a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House.

The cancellation is a foreign policy setback for an administration that has made putting a greater focus on the Pacific region central to its global outreach.īiden said he still plans to depart on Wednesday for Hiroshima, Japan, for a Group of Seven summit with leaders from some of the world’s major economies. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden said Tuesday he’s curtailing his upcoming trip to the Indo-Pacific, scrapping what was to be a historic stop in Papua New Guinea as well as a visit to Australia for a gathering with fellow leaders of the so-called Quad partnership so he can focus on debt limit talks in Washington.

Live press conference today