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| Prime Minister Shinzo Abe |
By Yuki Tatsumi
Criticisms of Abe’s congressional speech overlook the progress made during the rest of his lengthy U.S. visit.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe concluded his U.S. visit and returned to Japan on May 6. During his stay, he visited four cities — Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco. At each stop, he had at least one major event that was uniquely tailored for the city he visited (i.e., a speech at Harvard University in Boston, a conversation with Mark Zuckerberg in San Francisco, etc).
Abe’s visit to Washington D.C. — central in his itinerary — was as luminous as any state visit by a foreign leader could get. Blessed with beautiful spring weather, his schedule was packed with events, including a summit with President Barack Obama, a luncheon hosted jointly by Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry, a state dinner hosted by President Obama, and an address to a joint meeting of Congress (the first time ever for a Japanese prime minister).
The U.S.-Japan Joint Vision Statement issued following the summit is full of future-oriented action items on which the two countries can cooperate not only on a bilateral basis but also for the peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and beyond. The document clearly lays out the vision for the international order and supporting norms and principles that the two countries share: reaffirmation of the alliance, strengthening regional and international institutions, cooperation in major policy issues and boosting grass-roots exchanges.
Read the full story at The Diplomat