Japan’s Abe U.S. visit to focus on military, economy and high-speed rail

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the U.S. on Sunday for a weeklong visit to showcase the success of the alliance built from Tokyo’s defeat in World War II, while promoting a political agenda based on still stronger military and economic ties. The visit will take Abe from Boston to the Silicon Valley, with ample time for hobnobbing with high-flying businesspeople like the founders of Facebook and Apple, Japanese scholars and celebrities. Abe is also expected to try and sell some bullet train systems.

I plan to show my vision about the future of Japan as we work with the United States, and about the world we want to achieve.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Abe will also seek to tilt the balance in favor of Obama’s request for “fast-track” rules to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation, a U.S.-led trade initiative. Recent ministerial-level talks between Japan and the United States have made progress, but officials say they don’t expect a major breakthrough during Abe’s visit. He is first among several leaders of Asia, including China and South Korea, visiting the U.S. this year, a sign of Washington’s growing attention to the region.

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