President Donald Trump is playing host to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week amid growing strain between the countries over the president's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the push for new tariffs.
The visit gives the leaders an opportunity to discuss Trump's upcoming summit with North Korea, which Japan eyes warily. It will also serve as a test of whether the fond personal relationship the two leaders have forged on the golf course and over meetings and phone calls has chilled following Trump's recent moves, including failure to exempt Japan from new steel and aluminum tariffs.
Trump welcomed the two days of meetings. "I am in Florida and looking forward to my meeting with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. Working on Trade and Military Security," he tweeted today.
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House expects the summit "to be very positive."
Mike Pompeo, Trump's pick for secretary of state, said the goal of the summit is to get North Korea to "step away from its efforts to hold America at risk with nuclear weapons." Abe has voiced fears that short- and medium-range missiles that pose a threat to Japan might not be part of the U.S. negotiations and has said he worries Trump may "end up accepting North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons."