Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso visited Donald Trump at his office in New York on April 23, seeking to rebuild ties between his ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the former U.S. president.
Aso is among a collection of foreign leaders meeting with Trump, who is eyeing a possible return to the White House next year if he defeats President Joe Biden in November.
“He is a highly respected man in Japan and beyond,” Trump said as he welcomed Aso at Trump Tower. “We got to know each other, and we'll be talking about Japan and the United States right now and lots of other things also.”
The former president spoke to reporters before having an hour-long meeting with Aso, who is currently the vice president of the LDP.
The meeting was held after Trump attended a session of his ongoing hush-money trial in New York regarding the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Aso visited the United States in January and met with U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Trump administration.
He also attempted to set up a meeting with Trump, but wasn't successful at the time.
Aso served as deputy prime minister and finance minister in the government of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was known for his close ties with Trump.
Aso accompanied Abe on his summit meetings as well as golf outings with Trump during his presidency.
Trump’s meeting with Aso is his latest with global political figures and is seen as a way to boost his profile for the upcoming election.
The former president has met recently with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Polish President Andrzej Duda.