Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to leave for Washington on the night of Feb. 9 to hold his first summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. After having talks at the White House around noon on Feb. 10 local time (in the predawn hours of Feb. 11 Japan time), the two leaders will move to a villa owned by Trump in Florida. With the U.S. president hosting Abe for almost two full days, the Japanese government is attaching top priority to the establishment of a relationship of trust between the two leaders.
The bilateral meeting is expected to focus on trade issues -- where Trump, a staunch critic of Japan's trade policy, is likely to demand that Japan rectify its trade surplus with the United States. The Japanese government is aspiring to reaffirm with the U.S. the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and mutual benefit through the bolstering of bilateral economic cooperation.
The two leaders are scheduled to take Air Force One when going from Washington to Florida, possibly accompanied by their wives. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only a handful of Japanese leaders have been aboard Air Force One, including then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi when he and then President George W. Bush visited Graceland, the former home of the late Elvis Presley, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2006.
During their two-night stay at a villa in Palm Beach, Florida, Abe and Trump are scheduled to play golf together on Feb. 11. All told, Abe may share up to five meals with Trump, starting from the luncheon on Feb. 10 through dinner the following evening.
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