President Trump and Prime Minister Abe Hold Cordial Meeting; Japan Prepared To Build U.S. Infrastructure

PRESS RELEASE

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe Hold Cordial Meeting; Japan Prepared To Build U.S. Infrastructure

Feb. 10, 2017 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a press conference today before traveling together to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, as part of a three-day visit between the two leaders. Abe was one of the first leaders to meet with President Trump after the election, and the two have obviously struck up a very close personal and political relationship. "The chemistry between us is very good," Trump said, "and that’s not going to change." Trump called Japan an "important and steadfast ally" and called the U.S.-Japan alliance "the basis of peace in the Pacific region. The United States is Japan’s "fully engaged partner" and they will work together on maintaining freedom of navigation.

Abe, for his part, said that Japan has built infrastructure all over the world. "We have built factories in the U.S. and can build infrastructure all over the country including high-speed rail." He said Japan could build a maglev between Washington and New York which would get President Trump from his D.C. office to Trump Tower in New York City in one hour! "We will be able to contribute to President Trump’s [infrastructure] program," he said, noting that there would be a "cross-technology dialogue" to be held between the two countries, a "New Framework," to be headed buy Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Abe said:

"With the Trump Administration there will be a new genesis of the U.S.-Japan relationship. The Vice President and the Prime Minister will discuss developing relations between the two countries. Treasury and the Finance Ministry will coordinate issues of financial cooperation, in a policy which would contribute to the prosperity of the world."

Abe made several comments aimed at confrontation with China, including a call for "freedom of navigation," a criticism of "state backed industries" interfering in "free trade," and concern over "intellectual property rights."

However, when a Japanese reporter asked Trump a question which challenged Trump’s reversal of Obama’s "pivot to Asia," implying that Trump would not defend Asia from "Chinese aggression," Trump did not take the bait. Instead he rep[lied:

"I had a very, very good conversation, as most of you know, yesterday with the President of China. It was a very, very warm conversation. I think we are on the process of getting along very well. And I think that will also be very much of a benefit to Japan.... We have conversations with various representatives of China, I believe, that that will all work out very well for everybody—China, Japan, the United States, and everybody in the region."