World leaders beset by criticism prepare for meeting in Florida
DONALD TRUMP and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe will put domestic controversies to one side when they meet at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort for two days of talks.
Like the US leader, Mr Abe has found himself at the centre of criticism, in his case allegations of cronyism and the mishandling of documents by ministries.
Before boarding his flight to the US from Tokyo, Mr Abe took the unusual step of pledging to clean up the mess in government when he gets back.
“As head of the government, I’m committed to deal with every single problem responsibly to uncover the truth and squeeze out the pus,” he said.
Mr Abe’s meetings with Mr Trump may provide a brief respite from his problems at home and could even stem the slide in his popularity.
The two leaders plan to play golf, as at their two previous summits. But this round of talks in Florida may prove more challenging than the first two.
Mr Abe will have to overcome policy divisions on trade and potentially North Korea that have emerged in Mr Trump’s second year in office.
A poor summit showing could further undermine Mr Abe’s position at home. The Japanese leader’s approval ratings have declined to below 30 per cent in some polls.
That contrasts with the 50 per cent approval rating he enjoyed at the time of his Tokyo summit with Mr Trump in November, soon after leading his ruling party to a landslide election victory.
A school land deal scandal linked to Mr Abe’s wife re-erupted in March after a newspaper revealed that Finance Ministry officials had altered documents related to the school’s purchase of state land at a huge discount.
Mr Abe has denied that he or his wife intervened in the sale.
Then, a second allegation of favouritism resurfaced, in which a friend of Mr Abe got permission to establish a new veterinary school in western Japan. The discovery of new evidence has reignited the charges.