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 Abe will spend eight days on a state visit expected to focus on
joint responses to growing Chinese assertiveness in Asia, including
his moves to loosen the constraints of Japan's pacifist, postwar
constitution on the military.
In announcing the invitation to the Japanese leader, U.S. Speaker of
the House John Boehner said Abe's speech would be an opportunity for
Americans to hear from a close ally about ways to expand cooperation
on economic and security priorities.
"That, of course, includes working together to open markets and
encourage more economic growth through free trade," Boehner said in
a statement.
Trade is an important component of President Barack Obama's
diplomatic and security "pivot" to Asia. Progress toward a12-nation
Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal has been touted as a key hope
for Abe's visit to the United States, starting April 28. Congress,
however, has been slow to finalize legislation to speed such
agreements.
There had been some resistance to offering Abe the honor of
addressing both houses.
An organization for former U.S. prisoners of the Japanese and a
Korean-American forum said last week he should only be allowed to
make the address if he acknowledged Japan's World War Two past.
HISTORY
Abe cuts a controversial figure in parts of Asia given what critics
see as his attempts to water down past statements about the behavior
of Japan's Imperial Army during the war.
Washington has stressed the need for Japan and its neighbors,
including another U.S. treaty ally, South Korea, to bury historical
animosities.
Asked about the speech, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide
Suga told a news conference in Tokyo on Friday that it would "have
great significance in that it will demonstrate the strong U.S.-Japan
alliance to the world."
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"This will be an a splendid opportunity to send a message to the
world, that the United States and Japan reconciled after the war and
as strong allies...have contributed to the peace and prosperity of
international society...," Suga said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said a Feb. 12 speech to
Japan's parliament by Abe delivered "a very positive message about
history issues" and added: "We continue to emphasize the importance
of approaching historical legacy issues in a way that promotes
healing and reconciliation."
Speaking to Congress will be a personal milestone for Abe, given
that his grandfather, Kishi Nobusuke, addressed the house as
Japanese prime minister in 1957, and the most recent address to that
chamber by a Japanese leader was in 1961 by then-Prime Minister
Hayato Ikeda.
Although addresses to both houses by foreign leaders are fairly
rare, Abe's will be the third this year. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to both houses on March 3, and Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani did so on March 25.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom; Additional
reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Linda Sieg in Tokyo; Editing; by Doina
Chiacu, Bernard Orr, Andrew Hay and Michael Perry)
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