19 August 2017

News Story: New US envoy, Abe vow to fortify alliance amid N. Korea threat

U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty
(Image: Wiki Commons)
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- New U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, with both expressing the will to work to strengthen the countries' alliance in light of heightened concern over North Korea.

Hagerty said after the meeting that he is convinced Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are on the same page on North Korea, which last week threatened to fire ballistic missiles across Japan to waters near the U.S. territory of Guam in the western Pacific.

"I think that the prime minister and President Trump see the situation identically," Hagerty told reporters after his "very constructive dialogue" with Abe at the latter's office.

"We are working together very closely, and we're examining every option that we have to contain the (North Korean) regime," Hagerty said.

At the outset of the meeting, Abe told Hagerty of his hope that "we will be able to work together to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance."

Read the full story at The Mainichi