Ivanka sits in on landmark talks
TOKYO: Photos of US Presidentelect Donald Trump’s landmark first talks with a foreign leader show his daughter Ivanka was present, underscoring the family’s influence as he readies to take power.
In the meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the mogul’s Trump Plaza residence, Ivanka – a model-turned-business executive – was seen seated as the group conversed in the opulent reception room.
Media were shut out of the gathering in Manhattan, but images released by the Japanese government also showed Ivanka and her husband, real estate developer and publisher Jared Kushner, standing and chatting with Abe. The couple, both 35, have emerged as key advisers to Trump, who shocked the world by beating Hillary Clinton in the Nov 8 election.
The presence of Ivanka, in a black-and-white dress and high heels, drew attention in protocolconscious Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her as US ambassador to Tokyo.
“It’s quite unusual to see a family member attending the first encounter between two leaders even if it’s informal,” said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture,
“It indicates that she would be playing some important role in the Trump administration,” he added. “But it’s no surprise to see her there as she has already been involved in politics. Anyway, that’s the Trump way.”
Ivanka Trump is a key player in her father’s business empire and has her own fashion label and jewellery line, and active Twitter and Instagram accounts that nourish her brand.
The Tokyo Sports newspaper carried an article headlined “Trump daughter-blonde beauty Ms Ivanka the next ambassador to Japan!?” on its website last Saturday.
It cited unidentified overseas media as having reported before the vote that Trump had secret plans to appoint her ambassador, replacing current envoy Caroline Kennedy who is the daughter of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy.
“I don’t think the possibility that Ivanka would be an ambassador to Japan is zero, but it’s too early to say,” said Yamamoto. – AFP