Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may visit the United States for a summit in late February if Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton wins next week's presidential race, Japan-U.S. diplomatic and party sources said Thursday.
The meeting just a month or so after the new president takes office would be aimed at confirming Tokyo and Washington are on the same page regarding the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and of coordinating policies toward China, Russia and North Korea, the sources said.
Japan has been siding with the U.S. against China in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been building military outposts to strengthen its claims.