Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his talks Thursday with Donald Trump as "very warm," analysts say Japan may need to consider more self-reliant diplomacy when working with the U.S. president-elect, whose "America first" rhetoric presumably will drive his foreign policy.
Abe, the first foreign leader to meet face to face with the billionaire businessman, took the opportunity to share his "basic views" amid uncertainty over the incoming leader's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.
The meeting was hastily fixed — agreed upon in telephone talks on Nov. 10, two days after Trump's victory — and was cautiously watched by policymakers around the world who are concerned about Trump's campaign remarks about the U.S. military presence overseas and trade policies.