TOKYO -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants a promise from Donald Trump that the U.S. will defend Japanese-administered islands also claimed by China if necessary, a commitment signaling an unchanged bilateral security pact even under an unpredictable president.
And to that end, Abe hopes to swiftly arrange a summit with Trump, with Tokyo and Washington negotiating an early February date. The plan is to discuss ways to deepen the bilateral security alliance, including reiterating the U.S. obligation to defend the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea under Article 5 of the treaty.
