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Significance
This is the first state visit extended to a Japanese prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi's in 2006 under the George W Bush administration. Abe was awarded the honour on April 29 of being the first Japanese prime minister to address together both houses of the US Congress.
Impacts
Abe has strengthened the military alliance, but fulfilling his promises to Washington will cost him political capital at home.
History issues are increasingly able to cause Abe problems in the United States as well as East Asia.
The economic alliance is shakier than the military one; the US Congress may still delay the TPP.
Tokyo and Washington look isolated as the TPP stalls and regional governments sign up to China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Keywords:
Japan,
United States,
AP,
East Asia,
China,
JAPAN/US,
international relations,
defence,
foreign policy,
security,
summit,
talks,
foreign trade
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2015
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