Now It's Shinzo Abe's Turn With Trump

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe comes to Washington this Friday bearing gifts, reportedly including a proposal to invest billions in U.S. railroads, bridges and highways. The investment is sorely needed, and the offer will no doubt be appreciated. Still, it’s hard not to ask: Has it come to this?

President Donald Trump seems to favor a transactional approach to international relations, regardless of whether he’s dealing with friend or foe, and in this case Abe appears determined to make the first bid. The president has also displayed a disturbing tendency to exasperate longstanding American allies. What Trump needs to realize, however, is that international relations is not a zero-sum game -- especially if you’re the world’s only superpower.