Clinton Makes First Secretarial Trip Abroad
Former New York Senator and First Lady Hillary Clinton was in Japan last February 16 as part of her four-nation Asian tour. Her trip marks her first overseas since becoming US Secretary of State.
Leading to her visit, there had been cresting Japanese fear that America was poised to swap its alliance with Japan for China. Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, skipped a visit to Japan in 1998 after a weeklong stay in China.
On her arrival Monday night, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her reassurance and consoled Japanese sensibilities, even touting the country as a “cornerstone” in diplomatic efforts.
Hillary Clinton used the trip, among others, to personally deliver an invitation from her onetime presidential rival Barack Obama, to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. The US President wants his Japanese counterpart to visit Washington D.C. on February 24th.
That would make Aso the first world leader to visit the White House under Obama’s administration.
On the second day of her visit, Hillary Clinton had dinner with the Prime Minister and afterwards, managed to meet with Ichiro Ozawa, the PM’s rival. Head of Japan’s Democratic Party, Ozawa reportedly told Clinton he wanted a more visible role for Tokyo, even if it meant sidestepping American ties.
Her meeting with Ozawa demonstrated a visit marked by “balance” and “harmony,” words she used to describe a Shinto shrine in relation to Barack Obama’s foreign policy. That morning, she came to the shrine for a welcoming and purification ritual.
Some 200 US Embassy workers accompanied her to the shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji. Later she distributed gifts and drank tea.
Hillary Clinton had more teatime that afternoon, this time with Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone interpreted Hillary Clinton’s state visit as Obama attaching importance to Japan-U.S. relations.
Together, Nakasone and Hillary Clinton signed a Bush-negotiated agreement that would relocate 8,000 of 50,000 US marines in Okinawa, Japan to Guam, a US territory. The move is largely funded by Japan.
For the rest of her visit, the Secretary of State moved under the shadows of the threat of nuclear aggression by North Korea. America’s top diplomat tackled the North Korea problem when she presided over a town hall meeting. Families of Japanese abductees trooped to Tokyo University for the rare engagement.
Since the 1970s, some Japanese citizens have been reported missing and were presumably held against their will by North Korean agents.
For half an hour, Clinton listened to relatives’ plights and vowed to help look for answers regarding the abductees. Beyond that, Hillary Clinton committed to nothing.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed for Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday. Her next trips are scheduled for Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China.
Related Sources:
Washington Post report on the State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Japan visit.
The BBC reported on Hillary Clinton’s first visit abroad as state Secretary.
NBC News interviewed State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Tokyo.