Even Before Taking Office... "Japan's Ishiba Coordinates Meeting Schedule with Trump Side"

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, mentioned that a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru before his inauguration on the 20th of next month is possible, and it has been reported that the Japanese government has begun coordinating the schedule.

Yonhap News

On the 21st, Asahi Shimbun reported that although the Japanese government had judged it better to hold an official summit after Trump’s inauguration, the opinion that Prime Minister Ishiba should visit the United States in mid-next month, as proposed by Trump, is growing stronger, especially within the Prime Minister’s Office.

Asahi stated, "Prime Minister Ishiba wants to build a personal trust relationship with President-elect Trump during the meeting and confirm the importance of the US-Japan alliance," but also noted, "There are many unknowns about what requests Trump’s side might make to Prime Minister Ishiba."

It continued, "The Japanese government will carefully coordinate the meeting while grasping Trump’s true intentions through contacts with Trump’s camp," and "After reviewing what achievements Prime Minister Ishiba can obtain, a final decision will be made."

Earlier, on the 16th (local time), President-elect Trump met with reporters at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, saying, "I place great importance on Japan," and regarding the possibility of meeting Prime Minister Ishiba before his inauguration, he said, "If they (Japan) want it, I will do so."

In relation to this, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi stated at a press conference on the 20th, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make every effort," and added, "We hope to steadily exchange opinions and have an opportunity to send a message to the international community about the US-Japan relationship."