Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday said his meeting with
Donald Trump — the first by a foreign leader — convinced him the US
president-elect was someone “in whom I can have great confidence”.
“We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of
time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere,” Abe told reporters after
their meeting at the billionaire’s Manhattan skyscraper in New York.
“Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future,” he said.
“As an outcome of today’s discussions, I am convinced Mr Trump is a leader in whom I can have great confidence.”
Abe thanked Trump for meeting him as he was shaping his cabinet ahead of his inauguration as US president in January.
“Despite his extremely busy schedule because of decisions to be made
vis-a-vis appointments or other related business, he was kind enough to
receive me,” the Japanese leader said.
“I renewed my conviction that together with Mr Trump I will be able to establish a relationship of trust.”
The Japanese leader gave few details of the meeting and only said he “conveyed my basic views” on various issues.
But he added the two had agreed to meet again for deeper talks on a wider range of issues.
Japan is one of Washington’s closest allies but Trump alarmed Tokyo
policymakers during the campaign by musing about pulling the thousands
of US troops from the region and suggesting that officially pacifist
Japan may need nuclear weapons.
Trump also vowed during the election to tear up the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, a proposed vast trade pact backed by outgoing President
Barack Obama and which Abe had made a top priority.
AFP
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