AYSE, Japan (Reuters) — United States Vice President Mike Pence landed in Tokyo on Tuesday (April 18), where he is expected to reassure Washington’s ally amid tensions over North Korea while also holding talks the White House hopes will open doors for US goods and attract infrastructure investment.
An aircraft carrying Pence and his wife Karen landed at a US base in Ayase, on the outskirts of Tokyo, at 12:15 local time (0315 GMT). Pence will first join a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for talks focusing on security issues before meeting Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso for economic discussions.
Tokyo is the second stop on Pence’s 10-day tour of Asia, a trip aimed at emphasizing that US President Donald Trump wants to boost US trade in the region even though he has abandoned the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact.
Pence is also expected to reassure Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions, after warning that US strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.
