On the evening of October 27, after "Air Force One" landed at Haneda Airport, everyone's attention in the Indo-Pacific was focused on Trump, who returned to Japan for the first time in six years as the White House occupant. The outside world will now be watching whether Takahashi Sanae, who calls herself the successor to Abe's policies, can successfully "win over" Trump, just like his mentor did, and continue the diplomatic legacy left by Abe towards the United States?

Trump has arrived, returning to Japan after six years

According to Kyodo News, when Trump stepped out of "Air Force One", the Japanese government sent Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiwaki Masaru and Ambassador to the U.S. Yamada Shigemichi to meet him. After a brief greeting with everyone, Trump immediately boarded the helicopter "Marine One" and headed directly to the Imperial Palace.

However, while Japanese media issued the news of "Trump's arrival in Japan," they almost all focused on a statement Trump made to journalists before arriving in Japan. When asked about his expectations for this visit, Trump openly focused on Takahashi Sanae, who would hold their first summit meeting. Moreover, he specifically mentioned the late Abe, stating that "Abe was my friend." Takahashi and Abe were very close, and their ideas were extremely similar. This would be very good news for the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Evidently, Trump not only directly linked Takahashi with Abe but also officially certified Takahashi as an "Abe successor" in advance. For Takahashi, who considers herself a loyal inheritor of the "Abe policy" and is in the same conservative hawkish political spectrum, this is undoubtedly a big gift from Trump. This has given the public high expectations: can Takahashi replicate Abe's wisdom and know how to deal with Trump?

Due to Abe's factor, Trump has a good impression of Takahashi

In fact, there are similar evaluations and expectations for Takahashi Sanae within Japan. According to "Economic News," Takahashi Sanae, a staunch conservative of the Liberal Democratic Party, is seen by some Tokyo officials and analysts as the best person to build rapport with Trump and resist his punitive measures. Shigenori Sugiyama, who served as Japan's ambassador to the U.S. during Trump's first term, said: Abe Shinzo supported Takahashi Sanae during the 2021 party leader election. Now, Takahashi Sanae has a golden opportunity to reset the U.S.-Japan relationship. Sugiyama further revealed that Takahashi Sanae has been studying how Abe dealt with Trump recently, and she is expected to benefit greatly from it. If she starts the conversation by praising Abe Shinzo's outstanding leadership, the two sides will surely have a great start.

According to Fuji TV, Takahashi Sanae is indeed preparing to use the "Abe card" to deal with Trump. She is planning to present Trump with a golf club used by Abe. In addition, she also intends to arrange a meeting between Akie Abe and Trump.

All of this makes one reflect: How did Abe manage to handle Trump back then? The New York Times stated that when this unassuming amateur president won the 2016 election and was preparing to overturn traditional American diplomacy, Abe immediately lowered his pride and flew to Trump Tower right after Trump's victory, presenting a gift of "Japan expanding investment in the U.S." Since Abe was the first foreign leader that Trump saw after his election, this naturally created a favorable impression on the latter, thus starting a long-term "diplomatic friendship" between the two.

After Trump took office, Abe visited the U.S. multiple times. During this process, he thoroughly understood Trump. In subsequent three visits by Trump to Japan, Abe went to great lengths, from a match on the green with a professional golfer, inviting Trump to watch sumo, giving him the unprecedented "Presidential Cup," to a kaiseki dinner at a izakaya, and arranging Trump as the first foreign guest received by Emperor Naruhito after his ascension. Abe used extreme hospitality and delicate personal skills to successfully calm down this unpredictable amateur politician, skillfully reducing the impact of "America First."

Abe went to great lengths to handle Trump back then

It must be said that Abe's actions were very successful. He not only solidified the U.S.-Japan alliance during Trump's first term but also made Trump still remember him until today!



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566088337740530216/

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