U.S. President Barack Obama offered a generous welcome to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week. It was an apparent bid to further cement ties with a close East Asia ally as they both deal with a more assertive China.

When Abe came to Washington more than two years ago, the leaders did not even hold a joint news conference after their first face-to-face talks at the White House.

This time Obama, following his state visit to Japan last year, gave Abe the red carpet treatment and tried hard to please the prime minister, his wife, Akie, and the delegates.