Officials said on Friday that a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to New York will include a meeting with the next president of the United States, Donald J Trump.
Abe will pitch the importance of a strong alliance between the two superpowers, especially in the Asian-Pacific arena, and the meeting will supplement talks the two have already had by telephone.
The meeting will be a prelude to Abe’s attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima the following week.
“Of course when you have a major transition of power like this we need to do everything we can to safeguard our friendship and political ties,” said a Japanese ministry official in a press release. “Mr Trump is likely to take his time when filling his administrative roles so we need to be patient and take each step as it comes.”
Trump’s surprise victory has caused concerns for Japan’s political community as his “America First” rhetoric could lead to a change in the country’s security arrangements in the region. This is the last thing Japan needs, as an unpredictable North Korea and the rise in power of China pose indirect threats.
Washington had previously put in place the 12-nation pan-Pacific trade agreement, but Trump’s opposition to nearly every trade pact he’s referred to might also raise anxiety.
“It’s no secret that Abe has been decidedly unimpressed by Mr. Trump’s stance on the subjects of trade and security,” says head of Asian studies at Temple University, Jeffrey Kingston. “I’m sure he will have a number of points he will bring up with the president-elect in due course and attempt to, shall we say, manage his perceptions.”
Trump will need to tread carefully with his policies as Japanese companies are an integral part of the United States economy, employing nearly a million Americans and contributing $80 billion annually to the country’s export business alone.
Prominent investment firm CITIC Tokyo International mentioned in an interview today that market sentiment had taken a nosedive since it became obvious Trump was going to clinch the White House yesterday.
A Japanese government official said he had been “alarmed by some of the comments Trump has been making concerning the region” but that he is confident their team of economic advisors could “formulate a meaningful dialogue to reach common ground in the next few months.”
Trump will take over from President Obama after the New Year.
