Japanese prime minister reportedly told by Trump's team not to take the future president 'literally'

Japanese newspapers report Donald Trump's win.
(Image credit: TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images)

President-elect Donald Trump's team reportedly gave Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's team a word of advice ahead of their meeting slated for Thursday, Abe adviser Katsuyuki Kawai told Reuters: Don't "take each word that Mr. Trump said publicly literally."

Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump suggested Japan obtain its own nuclear weapons and repeatedly criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now, Reuters reported, Trump's team seems to be assuming a less combative tone. Earlier this week, a Trump adviser reportedly applauded Abe's "assertive and forthright" efforts to change Japan's "global posture." "I think he's going to get a very receptive audience here," the adviser reportedly said of Abe.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us