U.S. Govt Shutdown Boosting Concerns about Trump’s Japan Visit

Washington, Oct. 12 (Jiji Press)–Concerns are mounting among Japanese and U.S. officials that the ongoing U.S. government shutdown may affect President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Asia including Japan expected for later this month. There were cases in the past in which a president canceled a foreign trip because of a government shutdown. Tokyo and Washington are jittery especially because Japan’s political world has been thrown into turmoil due to Komeito’s exit from its 26-year-old coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party announced Friday. “I’m going to be there,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, speaking about his travel to South Korea. At present, he is expected to visit Japan from Oct. 27 to 29 after attending summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia. After meeting with the new Japanese prime minister to be elected this month, Trump is seen heading to South Korea for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Back in 1995, then U.S. President Bill Clinton canceled his visit to Japan due to a government shutdown. In 2013, then President Barack Obama canceled his attendance at an APEC summit for the same reason. In 2023, then President Joe Biden postponed his Oceania tour scheduled after the Group of Seven summit in Japan’s Hiroshima, due to difficulties in negotiations with Republicans over raising the government’s debt ceiling. “I cannot believe that he would go on a weeklong visit to Asia during a shutdown,” a U.S. government source said. During the Asian tour, Trump had planned to meet with the LDP’s new president, Sanae Takaichi. But Komeito’s breakup with the LDP has intensified uncertainty over whether Takaichi will be elected prime minister by parliament. Trump has also suggested he might cancel a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit, following Beijing’s decision to tighten rare earth export controls. A Japan-U.S. diplomatic source said that his motivation to visit Asia should have decreased significantly. According to a U.S. Department of State official, Trump still intends to visit Japan, and discussions are underway at the White House on the Asian tour. “All we can do is continue making preparations,” said a Japanese government official. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]