(VOVworld)-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb 21 began a 3-day visit to the US to strengthen ties with its strategic ally. The visit aims to enhance Japanese- US relations during the new terms of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barak Obama. This visit is likely to influence the complicated situation in Northeast Asia.

During his visit to the US, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss the possibility of Tokyo joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the strengthening of Japanese- US security and economic cooperation and the nuclear situation on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with President Obama and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet his US counterpart John Kerry. Mr. Shinzon Abe will deliver a speech in Washington on Japan’s economic policies to restore its growth and deal with prolonged deflation. Speaking prior to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the US, Obama’s press secretary said the US President expected that his discussions with Prime Minister Abe will go deep into bilateral, regional and global issues including the US-Japan Security treaty, economic and trade issues. However, analysts said that North Korea’s recent nuclear test would dominate the two leaders’ discussions. In a telephone conversation on Feb 13, President Obama and Prime Minister Abe agreed to further cooperation to cope with North Korea, including strengthening sanctions against Pyongyang. Obama said the US will honor its national defense commitments with Japan including expanding the operation of US nuclear shields. During their meeting in Washington, the two leaders are likely to discuss the joint management of monetary flows from international financial markets to Pyongyang.

The relationship between the two countries is expected to be strengthened after languishing under Shinzo Abe’s predecessor. After Japan’s Lower House election last December, Abe stressed that the strategic focus in Japan’s foreign policy is to strengthen relations with the US in security and economics. During Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the US last month, former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton underlined the need to deepen the US- Japanese alliance in the near future.

However, the two countries remained conflicted over Japan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Analysts say Mr. Abe must show a positive attitude toward the TPP to gain the trust of the Obama administration. This won’t be easy. Many congressmen inside and outside the Liberal Democratic Party oppose the TPP fearing that this agreement would impact  Japan’s agro market, especially rice and meat. A few weeks before the US visit, Japan agreed to loosen restrictions on importing beef from the US, one of the conditions that the US set before TPP’s negotiations could begin. This move didn’t seem to satisfy the US.

Hong Van.