U.S. President Donald Trump is making his first Asia tour next month. The White House announced that he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hawaii between Nov. 3 and 14. He will discuss with his counterparts the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region and the denuclearization of North Korea.
Although the detailed itinerary has not yet been made public, it is likely Japan will be his first stop. Trump is expected to have meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Emperor Akihito during his visit to Tokyo. There is some speculation that Abe and Trump will play golf together as they did in Mar-a-Lago in February.
Trump's visit to Japan provides a good opportunity to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Given the serious nuclear weapons and ballistic missile threats from Pyongyang, Trump and Abe can demonstrate their commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea. The two leaders will discuss how the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military can strengthen deterrence and defense.