Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering visiting the United States as early as mid-January to hold talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, informed sources said Thursday.
Ishiba had been arranging a visit to the U.S. in February or later, but he aims to bring it forward after Trump expressed, earlier this week, his willingness to meet with the prime minister even before taking office.
By holding talks with Trump at an early date, Ishiba hopes to build a personal relationship of trust with the president-elect and confirm the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance.