(VOVworld)-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will begin an official visit to the US on Thursday, the first by an Asian head of state to the US since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Tuesday that the primary mission of Prime Minister Abe’s trip is to “show anew to the world that the Japan-US alliance is unshakable”. Prime Minister Abe and President Donald Trump will hold talks in Washington and then play a round of golf in Florida, a match-up the Japanese leader hopes will build closer personal ties.
Affirming durable Japan-US alliance
Abe and Trump are expected to discuss the US’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, defense, security, economics, and a possible bilateral free trade agreement. Analysts say that the Trump administration is keen on a free trade deal with Japan.
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| US Defense Secretary James Mattis meets Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on February 3, 2017. (Photo: AFP) |
During a visit to Japan last week, US Defense Secretary James Mattis reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to defending Japan, including a group of islands in the East China Sea called Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China. Mattis even praised Japan as “a model” among US allies in sharing the costs of US forces stationed overseas.
Pending issues
Despite Secretary Mattis’s assurance, Japan still feels uncertain because of President Trump’s “America First” policy and his controversial comments on close alliances. Professor Kazuhiro Maeshima of Sophia University said that Japan’s concerns recognize that any commitment can be reversed. He warned that Trump might use US commitments to the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands to get Japan to compromise on trade and investment. Associate Professor Ken Jimbo of Keio University described Secretary Mattis’s visit to Japan as mainly focused the US-Japan alliance and regional security challenges. During his campaign, Trump demanded that allies pay the US for its security assurances. President Trump has rejected the TPP, of which Prime Minister Abe is a big fan, and has criticized Japan for restricting American manufacturers’ access to the Japanese automobile market and for devaluing the yen.
Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the US could have a profound impact on the long-standing alliance between the 2 nations.