The two leaders have spoken 30 times, including eight face-to-face meetings, and officials say Washington is well aware of Tokyo’s stance towards Pyongyang
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to draw on his close ties with President Donald Trump in talks on Thursday, will urge the US leader not to forget Tokyo’s security concerns in his drive for a historic deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Abe has spoken to Trump 30 times since he became president, including eight face-to-face meetings, and officials say Washington is well aware of Tokyo’s stance towards Pyongyang.
“Japan has repeatedly made clear that Japan is seeking complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all the weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges, and Japan’s position has not yet changed,” a foreign ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
“We think the US of course understands Japan’s position.”
Still, concerns have simmered in Tokyo that Trump, his eye on November congressional elections, could cut a deal that would allow him to boast of protecting US cities from nuclear attack but leave Japan vulnerable to shorter range missiles.
Japan also fears Trump could eventually agree to reduce US military forces in South Korea, leaving Japan as a frontline state against a Korean peninsula under heavy Chinese influence.
That would mean “Japan’s constitution, diplomatic policies and national security policies all will have to be totally reviewed for the completely new situation”, Katsuyuki Kawai, a special adviser on foreign affairs to Abe, told Reuters.
