EDITORIAL | Ishiba Must Pull All Stops to Get a Meeting with Trump

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Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited the United States on December 15 and dined with President-elect Donald Trump and his wife at their Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. At a later press conference, Trump expressed a positive attitude toward meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Saying, "I would love to meet with him," Trump added that a meeting might be arranged before his inauguration. That is a month away on January 20, 2025.

Talks between Ishiba and Trump should materialize at the earliest possible date. That would reaffirm the importance of the Japan-US alliance. Of course, the yearend calendar will be busy with such things as finalizing the FY2025 budget. However, priority should be given to the flexibility needed to accommodate a meeting with the US President-elect.

Shinzo Abe's Legacy

Regarding the meeting with Akie, Trump's wife, Melania Trump, posted the following message on her X account: "We fondly remembered her late husband, former Prime Minister Abe, and honored his remarkable legacy."

The strength of the bond that developed between Abe and Trump is truly impressive.

Trump asked Akie to carry books and other gifts back to Japan to present to Prime Minister Ishiba. It is hard to imagine that a meeting between Trump and Ishiba was not discussed during their dinner. Prime Minister Ishiba should recognize the magnitude of Abe's legacy.

Akie's dinner with the Trumps was arranged privately, not through the Japanese government. SoftBank Group chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son also met with Trump and unveiled plans to invest in the United States.

*PM Ishiba at the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18. (©Prime Minister's Office)*

Making It a Worthwhile Opportunity

When Prime Minister Ishiba visited South America in November, he asked to meet with Trump on his way to Japan. However, his request was rejected.

At that time, the Japanese government claimed that Trump's side had explained there were legal restrictions and that the President-elect would not meet with any heads of state before taking office. But Trump has in fact met quite enthusiastically with the presidents of Argentina and France.

As Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba should have been first up to meet with President-elect Trump. But he ended up beaten to the punch by other foreign leaders and even Japanese private citizens. Prime Minister Ishiba and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must reflect deeply on this and further hone their diplomatic skills.

Although Trump has indicated a positive attitude toward meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba, we should not be too optimistic. Concentrate first on making it happen.

During such a meeting, Prime Minister Ishiba must demonstrate that he is worthy of discussing world affairs with Mr Trump. He must also convey Japan's concerns about a possible Taiwan emergency. Hopefully, the two men will substantively discuss how to deter Chinese expansionism.