REVIEW - Trump Concludes Visit To Japan By Asking Tokyo To Consider Trade Deal After July Elections

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2019) US President Donald Trump concluded his four-day visit to Tokyo on Tuesday, during which he pressed his country's key ally in the region to even out the trade balance and think about getting a trade deal signed in August, a month after the Asian nation's parliamentary elections.

Trump was in Tokyo from Saturday until Tuesday. He held both formal and informal meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, joined him for a round of golf outside Tokyo, watched a sumo tournament finale and addressed US and Japanese troops in Yokosuka.

The US president became the first world leader to pay a state visit to Japan after the country entered into the Reiwa era under the new emperor. On Monday, Trump and the First Lady were received by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at a banquet in the imperial palace before departing the following day.

Despite the rather entertaining nature of Trump's visit to Japan, the trade deal that the United States strives to conclude with Tokyo was apparently part of every conversation between the two leaders.

After a round of golf with Abe and posting pictures together, the US president tweeted that there was "great progress" being made in trade talks with Japan, adding that agriculture and beef were "heavily in play."

"Much will wait until after their July elections where I anticipate big numbers!" Trump said, referring to the election to the upper chamber of the Japanese parliament.

As a matter of fact, America's agricultural exports were in focus even during lunch that same day, where double-cheeseburgers with US-made beef, which fully made its way back to the Japanese market earlier in May for the first time since 2003, were served, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

"Trade-wise, I think we will be announcing some things, probably in August, that will be very good for both countries," Trump said before talks with Abe.

Japan's top trade negotiator, Economic Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, rushed to downplay Trump's August time frame, telling reporters on Tuesday that the US leader was "merely voicing his hope for discussions to advance quickly," according to the Mainichi newspaper.

Seijiro Takeshita, a professor at the University of Shizuoka's school of Management and Information, told Sputnik that it was considerate of the US president not to pressure Tokyo for the deal ahead of the elections.

"Trump is showing consideration about the timing � we have an Upper House election coming up and hence July would be good timing to put foreign pressure. Even though the government would not like it, it would be bearable compared to pre-election," Takeshita said.

The expert also noted that choosing agriculture and beef as the focus of bilateral trade talks was "an understandable and good option," given Japan's considerable interest in them.

"[It is] much better than trying to hit on auto tariffs, which is totally unreasonable, and we already have a pact made back in 2016. The act of slapping 25% tax to Japanese cars would also hurt the American public the most. No logic to this action, so better to hit where it makes more sense," Takeshita stressed.

The two leaders also addressed the US-Iran tensions, which have flared up in recent weeks after Tehran discontinued some of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in relation to the United States' full withdrawal from the nuclear deal last year.

"Working closely with the United States, Japan intends to make efforts to ease tensions surrounding Iran and prevent a military conflict at all cost," Abe said at a press conference after his talks with Trump on Monday.

Media reported earlier in the month that Abe was considering a June 12-14 visit to Iran to meet with the country's leadership with the aim of helping resolve the disagreements between Washington and Tehran. The Japanese prime minister has reportedly even consulted with US National Security Adviser John Bolton on the matter. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official, however, refused earlier on Wednesday to confirm Abe's plans to Sputnik.

Trump, on the other hand, told reporters he did not mind Japan's attempt to mediate.

"I know that the prime minister and Japan have a very good relationship with Iran, so we'll see what happens. The prime minister has already spoken to me about that. And I do believe that Iran would like to talk. And if they'd like to talk, we'd like to talk also. We'll see what happens," the US president said.

After the talks on Monday, Abe underlined that Japan and the United States were on the same page regarding North Korea, noting that the US president supported his intention to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"I'm determined that I have to face Chairman Kim Jong Un myself, directly, without any conditions. I will meet the chairman and I would like to have a frank discussion. President Trump has expressed strong support to my determination as such. I'm saying that he will support me totally and will not spare any effort in assisting me," Abe said at a joint press conference with Trump.

Trump, in turn, reaffirmed that the United States would continue to support Japan's efforts to bring home the Japanese nationals who were abducted by North Korean security services between 1970s and 1980s.

"We will be working together to bring your relatives, your daughters, your sons and your mothers home," Trump told the families of abductees, whom he was meeting for the second time � the first was during his 2017 trip to Japan.

Japan maintains that North Korea abducted 17 of its citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to teach Japanese behavior and language at spy schools. In 2002, Pyongyang admitted that its agents had abducted 13 Japanese national but denied any involvement in other disappearances. Five of the abductees were repatriated in the same year, with North Korea saying that eight others had died. Japan continues to suspect that North Korea has been involved in many more disappearances.

The US president also praised his country's security cooperation with Japan, pointing to Tokyo's recent decision to purchase 105 F-35 multirole fighters from the United States, which would give Japan the largest F-35 fleet of any US ally.

"America and Japan's close security ties are grounded in shared values. Our armed forces train and serve together all around the world," Trump told a press conference on Monday. "On behalf of all Americans I want to thank the Japanese people for graciously hosting our service members and military families."

The president also announced plans to "dramatically expand" cooperation with Japan in space exploration.

"Japan will join our mission to send U.S. astronauts to space. We'll be going to the moon, we'll be going to Mars very, very soon. It's very exciting. And from a military standpoint, there is nothing more important right now than space," Trump said.

As part of underlining the importance of their military alliance, Trump and Abe toured on Tuesday the Japanese J.S. Kaga destroyer, docked at Yokosuka naval base, where the US president also paid a visit to the USS Wasp multipurpose amphibious assault ship to congratulate US troops on Memorial Day.