US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled their countries' biggest ever upgrade in defense ties Wednesday during a White House state visit focused on countering a resurgent China.

Biden rolled out the red carpet for Kishida with a lavish dinner, plus music by US singer Paul Simon, as he underscored Japan's importance as a key ally against Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two leaders even agreed that a Japanese astronaut will be the first non-American to walk on the Moon, as they sought to take the alliance to new heights.

"This is the most significant upgrade in our alliance since it was first established," Biden, 81, told a press conference with Kishida in the White House Rose Garden.

The two leaders unveiled plans to restructure the US military command in Japan, the biggest such change since the 1960s. The move is aimed at making US and Japanese forces more nimble in the event of threats, such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

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© International Business Times