Did Japan’s Ishiba cosy up to Trump or was he an effective negotiator at the summit?
While some critics said Ishiba’s praise of Trump was excessive, others declared the Washington summit between the two leaders “a success”
During a TV interview on Monday, Ishiba outlined his strategy that he was using in his talks with Trump, who made it clear in his first few weeks in the White House that the US intended to dominate its allies as well as rivals.
Ishiba told Nippon Television Network that the negotiation tactics he deployed in Washington were simple and effective.
“If I said ‘no’ to him, then everything would be disrupted,” he said. “It is said that he hates being disagreed with, so I didn’t.”
Ishiba avoided pointing out “the rule of law” to Trump so the president did not feel he was being “lectured”, he added.
His comments have lent credence to Japanese media reports that he underwent intensive training with the help of bureaucrats in Tokyo ahead of his departure for the US on how to deal with Trump.