Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will not meet, despite prior speculation about potential talks. Trump’s transition team has stated that no official discussions will take place before he assumes office in January.
Ishiba had planned to meet with Trump after attending international conferences in Peru and Brazil. The Japanese government had made arrangements for this meeting to take place in the U.S., but those plans have now been postponed.
Sources from the Japanese government explained that Trump’s team cited U.S. law, which prohibits private citizens from engaging in unauthorized negotiations with foreign officials. This legal restriction is one of the reasons behind the cancellation of the meeting.
Furthermore, the sources revealed that the schedule would be difficult to arrange due to the limited time between Trump’s election and the inauguration. The transition period made it challenging for both sides to organize talks in such a short span.
Ishiba aims to build a strong personal relationship with Trump to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. He continues to make arrangements for face-to-face discussions after Trump takes office, signaling his commitment to fostering a positive bilateral relationship.