Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins US visit

World Today

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has begun a week-long visit to the United States. Abe will be stopping in Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.He will also have meetings in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama.This is the first official visit by a Japanese Prime Minister since 2006. CCTV’s Nathan King filed this report.

Highlights:

  • It’s the first official visit by a Japanese prime minister since 2006, and Shinzo Abe will become the first Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress since 1961.
  • The two powers will update their defense guidelines for the first time in two decades.
  • On trade, Abe will push the U.S. Congress to give President Obama the ability to finalize the negotiations on the 12 nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade area, and allow a yes or no vote with no amendments.

Shihoko Goto on Shinzo Abe’s visit
For more on Shinzo Abe’s visit and what we can expect, CCTV spoke to Shihoko Goto. She is the senior associate for Northeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Asia program. She is also an expert in International and trade development in Asia and Japan.