4 Things Donald Trump Needs to Know before He Meets Shinzo Abe

Michael Auslin

Politics, Asia

It will be one of his first opportunities to pivot from politicking to policymaking.

President-elect Donald J. Trump is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan this Thursday in New York City. For both men, it will mark the beginning of a relationship that will shape the next four years in Asia. For Mr. Trump, it will be one of his first opportunities to pivot from politicking to policymaking, as the rhetoric of the campaign trail takes second place to forging working ties with one of America’s closest allies. As he heads into the meeting, here are the key things Mr. Trump should know about Japan.

First, Mr. Abe is going to be the only Japanese leader you will know until reelection time. He is the most successful Japanese politician since perhaps the 1960s, serving since 2012 after a disastrous one-year stint as premier in 2006–07. Now, after three-straight electoral victories, his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has changed its rules to allow him to run for a third three-year term. That means he will almost certainly be in office until September 2021. As he is the leader of the world’s third-largest economy and hosts the majority of our forces in the Pacific, your relationship with him will shape your foreign economic and security policies.

Second, Mr. Abe is your most eager partner in Asia—as evidenced by his desire to meet you as soon as possible. Despite occasional remarks that raise doubts over his views about Japan’s wartime actions, he has made clear both his contrition for the war and, more importantly, his support for democracy and the open, rules-based order in Asia. Mr. Abe has positioned Japan as the “un-China,” working to uphold regional norms, support smaller nations and promote the rule of international law. With its size and wealth, Japan is one of the few Asian nations that can play a material role, not only in its own defense, but in providing the public goods that help reduce demands on the United States.