U.S. President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a working visit on April 17-18, said a U.S. official.
In a background briefing on Abe's visit Friday, the official, who asked not to be named, said the meetings at Trump's personal resort Mar-a-Lago in Florida would start in the afternoon on April 17 with a one-on-one meeting, followed by a small-group discussion that will include some of their top national security officials.
The Trump-Abe discussions, the second of its kind between the two since last year, would continue with a larger bilateral meeting where the leaders could expand their discussions to include a range of "priority bilateral issues," said the official.
He added that the two sides are likely to focus on how their two countries can jointly promote trade ties and ensure universal access to affordable energy, high-quality trade and investment standards.
Trump and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump will host Abe and Mrs Abe in a small dinner in the evening.
Later on April 18, the two leaders would give a joint press conference, highlighting areas of mutual interest and cooperation. Abe would depart for home on the morning of April 19.
REJOINING TPP?
Speaking of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade pact that Trump pulled his country out last year, the official said Trump now believes that the United States would consider negotiating with member countries "either individually or as a group, if it's in the interests of American business and American workers."
Trump tweeted on Thursday that he "would only join TPP if the deal were substantially better than the deal offered to Pres. Obama."
He added in the same post that Japan "has hit us hard on trade for years!," in an apparent gesture to pressure Abe before his arrival.
"A deal would have to be very attractive from those standpoints, for the U.S. to take another look at TPP," he added.
COORDINATION ON TRUMP-KIM MEETING
The official also said the visit is an opportunity for the two leaders to continue their coordination on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and exchange views before Trump meets Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
He added that the Trump-Kim meeting would take place in May or early June.
Speaking of China's role in the Korean Peninsula issue, the official said the U.S. president "has been thankful for China's efforts."
