Abe’s Congress Speech to Rivet Audience 7,000 Miles Away
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe goes before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to present Japan as a stalwart ally that’s willing to play a bigger military role in Asia, a message likely to be embraced in Washington and greeted with suspicion in Seoul and Beijing.
Abe is due to meet President Barack Obama during a week-long trip started Sunday that will focus on promoting investment and trade and unveiling new guidelines on a defense pact that’s been the cornerstone of U.S. policy in East Asia since World War II. Still, it’s what Abe says or avoids saying about a Pacific conflict that ended 70 years ago that may determine just how effective that alliance remains.