The next president of the United States, Mr. Trump, invited former Prime Minister Abe's wife, Akie Abe, to a dinner party. What is the intention behind this meeting before Prime Minister Ishiba? ■What is the political significance of Mr. Trump's meeting with Mr. Akie Abe? Caster Yoshihara Ami: On the morning of the 16th, Japan time, a dinner hosted by President-elect Trump was held at Trump's mansion, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, and Mrs. Akie attended. A photo of the three of them was also posted on Mrs. Melania's X. According to Professor Tetsuo Kotani of Meikai University, who is knowledgeable about Japan-US relations, "a meeting before inauguration is unheard of." Furthermore, the situation is that Akie Abe met before Prime Minister Ishiba. Is there any significance to this meeting? We will also take a closer look at future Japan-US relations. ■Although the meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba has not been realized...Trump meets with leaders of various countries Prime Minister Ishiba also requested a meeting with Trump. On November 7, after Trump's victory in the presidential election, they held a five-minute phone call and requested a meeting, but this has not been realized at this time. Prime Minister Ishiba said, "I was told by Trump's side that in principle, he will not meet with foreign dignitaries before taking office." However, Trump has already met with world leaders, including French President Macron, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. On the 16th, Akie met with Trump before Prime Minister Ishiba. According to TBS special commentator Hiroshi Hoshi, regarding this meeting, "The meeting was private. However, the Japanese government is supporting Akie's visit to the United States because it wants to build a pipeline with Trump." Caster Takahiro Inoue: With so much going on in the world right now, I think Japan is a low priority for Trump. Even if the Japanese government supports Akie's visit to the United States, how does it view this? TBS News Bureau Political Director Iwata Natsuya: According to senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office, this visit is no longer about conveying the Japanese government's message here, and Akie is basically doing it on her own. Of course, the situation is completely different from the previous visit of former Prime Minister Abe. Previously, Trump suddenly became president as a businessman with no diplomatic experience, and former Prime Minister Abe went there first. Trump now has four years of experience as president and has diplomatic experience, so I think it is better to understand that there are some differences from the situation at the time when he had to meet with the leaders of various countries as soon as possible. Caster Horan Chiaki: How is Japan viewed by President-elect Trump, who was explained to him before taking office that "in principle, he will not meet with foreign dignitaries," but is meeting with leaders of various countries? Political Director Iwata: For Trump, he wants to say something quickly to people he has something to say. For example, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has begun to say that the United States will increase all tariffs by 25% because Mexico and Canada share a border and illegal immigrants come here. He met with Prime Minister Trudeau in the midst of this conversation, and it will likely be a topic of discussion during the meeting. As for whether it would be good to meet sooner, it is important to meet and talk sooner, but it could also lead to a situation where difficult issues are presented early. ■What is the relationship between Prime Minister Ishiba and Trump? Former Prime Minister Abe built a "honeymoon" but... Caster Yoshihara: It is known that Trump and former Prime Minister Abe were very close, but how did they build such a good relationship? The two met in November 2016, immediately after Trump's victory in the presidential election. After that, the four of them, including his wife, had dinner and played golf together, and 51 Japan-US summit meetings were held. According to Political Affairs Department Chief Iwata, the key to the two's good relationship was not only these things, but also the fact that "they shared a tough stance toward China." This appealed to the unity of Japan and the United States, and diplomatic negotiations progressed favorably. So, what are Prime Minister Ishiba's thoughts on China? Political Affairs Chief Iwata: In November, Prime Minister Ishiba held a summit meeting with President Xi Jinping in Peru. At that time, he confirmed the importance of dialogue, saying that it is meaningful for the international community that the two countries build a constructive and stable relationship, and that he wants to build a relationship with President Xi where he can continue to have a frank dialogue. However, Prime Minister Ishiba is also well aware that the Japan-US relationship is Japan's greatest diplomatic axis, so his approach to China will be based on Japan-US diplomacy. For now, Prime Minister Ishiba himself has yet to build a relationship with the US and Trump. ■What is the relationship between Prime Minister Ishiba and Trump? What is necessary for a good relationship? Caster Yoshihara: In addition to his stance toward China, he lists two points for improving Japan-US relations. [1] Ability to respond to aggressive negotiations According to Professor Kotani of Meikai University, in the past, Trump has demanded an increase in defense spending in conjunction with a reduction in tariffs on agricultural products... (https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/list/articl... ▼TBS NEWS DIG Official Website https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/ ▼Please subscribe to our channel! / @tbsnewsdig ▼Information provided by "TBS Insiders" https://www.tbs.co.jp/news_sp/tbs-ins... ▼Video provided by "TBS Scoop Post" https://www.tbs.co.jp/news_sp/toukou.... #News #news #TBS #newsdig