Abe embarks on charm offensive to strengthen US-Japan ties in face of rising China

JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets US President Donald Trump on Friday at the White House, followed by weekend sessions in Florida. The trip, which follows Mr Abe becoming the first foreign leader last November to meet Mr Trump after his election victory, reflects the prime minister's desire to form a close personal bond with the president.

Already, it seems that this charm offensive may be paying some dividends with Mr Trump pointing last week to the "ironclad US commitment to ensuring the security of Japan". This was reinforced by US Defence Secretary James Mattis, who last week referred to the "unwavering alliance" in Tokyo between the two countries.

Mr Abe, who in December became the first Japanese prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor some 75 years after his country's attack on the US base there, is concerned to mitigate potential risks in the bilateral relationship given Mr Trump's earlier negative comments on the campaign trail about Tokyo. The now-president previously criticised the country for unfair trade practices involving car imports and exports; accused it of using monetary policy to devalue its currency to boost exports; and asserted that the bilateral security relationship had become too one-sided with Japan needing to undert…