Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba wants to visit the United States for talks before the new U.S. president takes office

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently spoke with the Yomiuri Shimbun, expressing plans to evaluate the possibility of visiting the United States for a leadership meeting before the inauguration of the new U.S. President in January, following the November elections.

With his scheduled attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru in mid-November, Ishiba indicated that there is a potential for a trip to the U.S. either before or after this event.

“As Japan’s Prime Minister and an ally of the United States, it is crucial to establish a relationship with the new president before they officially take office in January,” Ishiba stated, emphasizing his commitment to stabilizing and deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance and his desire for an early discussion with the incoming president. If this meeting is realized, it would mark Ishiba’s first visit to the U.S. since taking office on October 1.

Notably, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited New York in November 2016 after the U.S. presidential election, becoming the first foreign leader to meet with then-President-elect Donald Trump, which helped establish a “honeymoon” relationship between the two leaders.

Regarding Japan-U.S. relations, Ishiba has shown an interest in revising the legal status of U.S. military forces stationed in Japan under the “U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.” However, during the interview, he refrained from discussing a timeline for achieving these objectives.

“I understand better than anyone how challenging this matter is, so I won’t predict when progress can be made,” Ishiba acknowledged.