Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hosting the Group of 20 summit in Osaka through Saturday. The leaders of 20 countries that include the United States, China and Russia have gathered to discuss issues ranging from the global economy, innovation and woman's empowerment to the environment and health.
Being the longest-serving prime minister in postwar Japan, Abe has become a constant presence at multilateral forums like the G20. Indeed, emphasizing personal relationships with world leaders by actively engaging them, including holding frequent summit meetings, has been one of the features of his diplomatic style.
Summit diplomacy is not new to Abe. In fact, two of his predecessors, Yasuhiro Nakasone and Junichiro Koizumi — both known for their long tenures in office — used diplomatic styles similar to Abe by focusing on personal relationships with the leaders of countries they deemed important, as evidenced by Nakasone's "Ron-Yasu" relationship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Koizumi's "Junichiro-George" relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush.