Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be the first world leader to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday.
Abe is “thrilled” to be meeting Trump, Tomohiko Taniguchi, special adviser to the cabinet of prime minister, told CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout. “He will have to work with Trump for the next four years,” Taniguchi said Wednesday. “This will be good opportunity for them to get to know each other well.”
Trump stunned Asian neighbors
Abe will meet Trump on the way to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru amid concerns about the future relationship between the two nations.
During the campaign, Trump stunned Japan and South Korea, two of American’s strongest allies, with the suggestion the US military withdraw from their shores.
But Taniguchi said US commitment in Japan is about more than relations between the two nations, it’s about a commitment to the broader Indo-Pacific region. “As long as the US commits itself to this region, what matters is location” he said. “And Japan can offer the best location in the region.”
North Korea fears
President-elect Trump’s suggestions that Japan, which until last year had a pacifist constitution, should obtain nuclear weapons to protect itself from North Korea caused particular consternation.
“Japan is better if it protects itself against this maniac of North Korea,” Trump told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March.
Concerned about the statement, Prime Minister Abe responded publicly at the time, saying, “whoever will become the next president of the United States, the Japan-U. S. alliance is the cornerstone of Japan’s diplomacy.”
‘Positive tone’
Analysts also recognize the importance of the relationship.
“Japan is the closest US ally in Asia and he’ll want this to be reaffirmed,” said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University in Japan.
“I think Abe understands that Trump is a brittle person who takes offense easily and he will want to set a positive tone. He didn’t have good chemistry with Obama,” said Kingston.
Japan will also want to know how Trump plans to approach North Korea, which has ramped up its testing of missiles this year, including a nuclear warhead. Trump has said he would be happy to host the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, for a visit.
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