Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played the “Shinzo Abe card” in her first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 28, repeatedly invoking the name of her late mentor and Trump’s close friend.
Her plan was to cast herself as Abe’s “successor” to forge a crucial personal bond with the U.S. president at their talks in Tokyo, Japanese government officials said.
One key question surrounding the summit was whether the two leaders would have good “chemistry.”
The Japanese officials widely believed that the strong relationship between Abe and Takaichi would help her establish a positive rapport with Trump.
For Japan’s new prime minister, building a strong relationship with Trump, who is known for top-down decision-making, is an urgent diplomatic priority.
During their meeting at the State Guest House in Tokyo’s Moto-Akasaka district, Takaichi greeted Trump with a smile, and said, “I have been looking forward to meeting you in person.”
She quickly brought up Abe’s name.
“I am grateful for your long-standing friendship with Prime Minister Abe,” she said, and thanked him for hosting of Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, at a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“I truly appreciate your hospitality toward Mrs. Akie Abe at the end of last year,” Takaichi said.
She also emphasized her resolve to “restore strong Japanese diplomacy,” clearly referencing Abe’s legacy.
“Prime Minister Abe often spoke to me about President Trump’s dynamic diplomacy,” she said.
According to a close aide, Takaichi’s strategy going into the summit was: “First and foremost, build personal trust. That is the top priority.”
In 2016, immediately after Trump’s first victory in the U.S. presidential election, Abe met with him at Trump Tower in New York, ahead of other world leaders.
According to sources familiar with Japan-U.S. relations, Trump deeply appreciated Abe’s early visit.
The two later deepened their friendship through their shared hobby of golf and built a close personal relationship.
During the Oct. 28 meeting, Trump congratulated Takaichi on becoming prime minister and spoke warmly of Abe, calling him a wonderful friend.
He said Abe’s death in 2022 was a shocking and sad event.
Trump also praised Takaichi, saying Abe had often spoken highly of her. The president added that he had heard great things about her before the meeting.
After the summit, the two leaders shared a working lunch.
According to attendees, Trump frequently asked Takaichi questions to elicit her opinions, and she answered them in her own words.
Trump was also presented with a golf putter, a personal memento from Abe.
“It is significant that Trump recognizes Takaichi as Abe’s successor,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said. “We as the Japanese government want to consciously emphasize that point going forward.”
(This article was written by Yuta Ogi and Sotaro Hata.)
AloJapan.com