US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are to again bond on the golf course as the US president tees off his 11-day Asian tour with a visit to the Japanese prime minister.
Trump is to visit Japan from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7 as part of a five-nation Asian tour set to be dominated by concerns about North Korea’s weapons programs.
In the afternoon of his arrival day, Trump and Abe are to play golf with one of the world’s best professional golfers, Hideki Matsuyama, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters yesterday.
The golf-loving pair have forged close ties on and off the green.
Abe became the first foreign leader to visit Trump Tower in New York — before the now-president was even inaugurated — warmly shaking hands with the tycoon in glittering surroundings.
They then jetted off to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for a spot of “golf diplomacy,” with the US president praising Abe’s “strong hands” and a “very, very good chemistry.”
As a present, Abe gave Trump a driver worth about US$4,500.
Abe, 63, has emphasized that his golf skills are not on par with the billionaire Republican’s.
Suga brushed off concerns over whether it was appropriate to hit the golf course with the threat of North Korean nuclear missiles hanging over the world.
“The situation is very serious, but it is also quite important to deepen friendship while taking thorough measures to manage the crisis,” Suga said.
“It is a golden opportunity to discuss tasks the international community faces and show the world again how solid the bond of the Japan-US alliance is when the regional security situation, including North Korea, is becoming more and more serious,” he added.
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