Obama to Meet Japan PM to Talk Economy, Security Issues
When President Obama sits down on Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the conversation will focus primarily on trade and economic issues. But the two leaders will also dedicate plenty of time to two hot-button security issues.
Abe’s visit to the White House comes as his country is gripped in a territorial dispute with China and days after North Korea conducted its third nuclear test despite stiff opposition from the USA and other allies.
On North Korea, Obama and Abe are more or less on the same page. Both quickly expressed support of new measures against Pyongyang by the U.N. Security Council after North Korea conducted its latest nuclear test on Feb. 12.
But on Tokyo and Beijing’s ongoing dispute over disputed islands in the East China Sea (known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China), the Obama administration has cautioned both sides to show restraint. The islands, which are under administrative control of Japan, are also claimed by Taiwan.
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