Trump says U.S. committed to Japan
security, in change from campaign rhetoric
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[February 11, 2017]
By Steve Holland and Kiyoshi Takenaka
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a hug and a
handshake, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
opened a new chapter in U.S.-Japan relations on Friday with Trump
abruptly setting aside campaign pledges to force Tokyo to pay more for
U.S. defense aid.
The two leaders appeared to have established a quick friendship during a
day of talks at the White House and a flight together aboard Air Force
One to Florida for a weekend of golf.
At a joint news conference with Abe, Trump avoided repeating harsh
campaign rhetoric that accused Japan of taking advantage of U.S.
security aid and stealing American jobs.
It was a welcome affirmation for Japan in the face of challenges such as
China’s maritime expansion and North Korea’s nuclear and missile
development.
"We are committed to the security of Japan and all areas under its
administrative control and to further strengthening our very crucial
alliance," Trump said. "The bond between our two nations and the
friendship between our two peoples runs very, very deep. This
administration is committed to bringing those ties even closer," he
added.
A joint U.S.-Japanese statement said the U.S. commitment to defend Japan
through nuclear and conventional military capabilities is unwavering.
The statement amounted to a victory for Abe, who came to Washington
wanting to develop a sense of trust and friendship with the new U.S.
president and send a message that the decades-old alliance is
unshakeable.
Japan got continued U.S. backing for its dispute with Beijing over
islands in the East China Sea that China also claims. The statement said
the two leaders affirmed that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security
treaty covered the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu
in China.
Abe invited Trump for a visit to Japan this year and Trump accepted.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will make an early stop in Tokyo.
But uncertainty remained in another area, that of trade, after Trump
abruptly pulled the United States out of the planned Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade deal.
Abe said he was "fully aware" of Trump's decision to withdraw from the
multilateral trade accord. But he said Japan and the United States had
agreed on a new framework for economic dialogue.
"I am quite optimistic that ... good results will be seen from the
dialogue," he said, adding that Japan was looking for a fair, common set
of rules for trade in the region.
A senior Japanese government spokesman said Abe and Trump did not
discuss currency issues and that Trump did not request a bilateral trade
deal.
The official told reporters that a U.S.-Japan economic dialogue will be
led by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Vice President Mike
Pence to address fiscal and monetary policies as well as infrastructure
projects and trade.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe arrive
ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, at Joint Base
Andrews, Maryland, U.S., February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Trump, who spoke by phone on Thursday night with Chinese President
Xi Jinping, also said he considered dealing with North Korea's
nuclear program a "very very high priority" but gave no hint as to
how his approach would differ from that of his predecessor, Barack
Obama.
He predicted a level playing field on trade with China soon.
FLORIDA DIPLOMACY
The Mar-a-Lago visit will be Trump's first use of his Florida
getaway for diplomatic purposes. It will also be the most time Trump
will have spent with a foreign leader since taking power last month
and his second face-to-face meeting with a key ally after talks with
British Prime Minister Theresa May two weeks ago.
Trump hosted Abe at Trump Tower last year in his first talks with a
foreign leader after his surprise win in the November presidential
election.
Abe played down his chances in scoring better than Trump in golf.
"My scores in golf are not up to the level of Donald
at all, but my policy is never up, never in, always aiming for the
cup," he said.
Japan has had lingering concerns about what Trump's self-styled
"America First" strategy means for U.S. foreign policy in Asia as
well as what his decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade pact means for bilateral economic ties.
Abe pledged Japan would help create U.S. jobs, hoping to persuade
Trump to turn down the heat on economic matters and stand by the
alliance.
To avoid questions about whether Japan is paying Trump for Abe to
stay at the beachfront Mar-a-Lago retreat, the White House declared
that the entire visit there, including golf, is the official gift
for Abe from Trump.
(Additional reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Andrew Hay and
Alistair Bell)
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