Trying to Approach Trump

Taking opportunity of new year recess of Diet, Vice-president of Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, visited United States between January 9 and 13. While he made a speech in a thinktank and met with some experts on Japan issue in Washington, DC, he had another secret mission in US: having a meeting with former President Donald Trump. Although the attempt resulted in a failure, it revealed an expectation for reelection of Trump and eagerness to rebuild the connection as early as possible.

During the visit of US, Aso had a meeting with Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council, Kurt Campbell, discussing on the state visit of Kishida to US in this spring.

 

In his remarks at Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a thinktank in Washington, DC, Aso insisted on strong partnership between Japan and US dealing with pressure from China, touching on Taiwan issue saying “We need to firmly put international deterrence in place to prevent the number of ‘broken windows’ from increasing one after another.”

 

Those were what news organization reported during his visit. But few days after Aso returned to Japan, some newspapers reported that Aso had been trying to have another important meeting in New York. Asahi Shimbun reported that Aso tried to meet with Trump, who was on the comeback trail, according to sources. Trump’s aid had sent out feelers to Aso from 2023.

 

The day after he met with former US Ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty, Aso went to New York where Trump was to attend a court session. But no meeting was held because Trump had no time. “I left a sign that I wanted to meet with him since I did go to New York,” told Aso to his associates.

 

It is likely that Aso tried to play a role of messenger to Trump. Soon after Trump won the presidential election in 2016, then Prime Ministrer Shinzo Abe visited New York and had a meeting with president-elect Trump, when other Western leaders were still skeptical about Trump’s presidency. They established a close relationship beginning with the meeting. Trump invited Abe to Mar-A-Lago in 2017 and they played golf at suburb of Tokyo later that year.

 

Aso must have been making a good impression on Trump by early meeting at the beginning of presidential race. Trump made a good start in Iowa Caucus to make him GOP nominee in the National Convention this summer.

 

But it is still unclear whether Trump wins in general election in November. President Joe Biden will not have a good impression to Aso, who showed his expectation to Trump. Diplomatic gain could not be counted in Aso’s activity, so far.

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