Abe-Trump summit set for May 27

May 17, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to have talks on May 27, during the president's visit to the Asian country as a state guest for four days from May 25, Japanese government sources said Thursday.

Through the presidential visit, Abe aims to demonstrate that the Japan-U.S. alliance is stronger than ever before.

"Welcoming the president and the U.S. first lady as the first state guests in the new Japanese era of Reiwa will represent the two countries' unwavering alliance," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Thursday.

Reiwa started on May 1, in line with new Japanese Emperor Naruhito's enthronement the same day.

The Abe-Trump summit is expected to cover the issues of denuclearizing North Korea and bringing back Japanese abductees from the country, as well as Japan-U.S. trade issues.

According to the sources, Trump and his wife, Melania, will arrive in Japan on the evening of May 25. On the following day, he and Abe will play golf together at a golf course in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, sharing a round for the fifth time.

Later on May 26, Trump will visit the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo to watch final-day matches of the summer grand sumo tournament. He is slated to hand a special trophy to the winner in the makuuchi top division of professional sumo at the tournament. He will then attend a dinner hosted by Abe and his wife, Akie.

On May 27, Abe and Trump will hold summit talks at the State Guest House Akasaka Palace after Trump has a meeting with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako earlier in the day.

Trump will be the first foreign leader to meet the new Emperor.

Also on the day, the president will also meet relatives of Japanese abductees in North Korea.

On May 28, Trump will visit the Izumo-class destroyer Kaga of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Jiji Press