Trump hosts former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso in New York

NEW YORK: Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump hosted former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday.

During the reception, Trump sent a message to the people of Japan, saying that their country was “doing very well” and that he missed Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister who was assassinated in 2022.

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Japan has been trying to connect with people close to Trump ahead of the US election on November 5, reflecting concerns that if he wins, the former president could reinstate protectionist trade measures or take other steps that could hurt the Japanese economy or affect the strong defence ties with the United States.

The Trump-Aso meeting came two weeks after US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled plans for military cooperation and a series of projects to strengthen the US-Japan alliance.

The meeting was the latest effort by a foreign country to strengthen ties with Trump, with polls suggesting he and Biden are in a tight race.

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Aso, 83, is a former prime minister who currently serves as vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as deputy prime minister under the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who forged a close relationship with Trump during his presidency, and has decades of experience shaping US-Japan relations.