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By Shannon Tiezzi
The Japanese prime minster’s anticipated speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered his long-awaited speech (in English) to a joint session of the U.S. Congress today, becoming the first Japanese prime minister to do so. Abe’s speech took on epic proportions due to the timing – with his August 15 statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II looming, analysts are looking to his congressional speech for clues on what the “Abe Statement” will look like. Meanwhile, Abe himself wanted to use his speech to highlight the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, both in the security realm and on trade issues. Abe would use his speech to make the case for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which faces steep opposition in Congress (ironically, largely among President Barack Obama’s own Democratic Party).
Below, I examine each of these elements in more detail.
Read the full story at The Diplomat