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Obama hosts Japanese PM Shinzo Abe; hails 'indestructible' alliance

Though the White House has dashed hopes for a breakthrough US-Japan trade deal during Abe's visit, the leaders will try to push the negotiations forward and chart a path toward a major 12-nation Pacific trade pact.

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Hailing the US-Japan partnership as "indestructible," President Barack Obama on Tuesday hosted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a visit to showcase deeper defense ties and advance a Pacific trade pact as the two allies seek to counter China's growing power in the region. "Today we welcome Prime Minister Abe as we broaden our alliance for our time," Obama said as he greeted the Japanese leader on the south lawn of the White House with a display of ceremonial pomp. "Ours is an alliance focused on the future."

But even as both leaders sought to look forward, Abe is expected to be dogged during his US visit by criticism over his handling of Japan's wartime past. The official agenda is intended to highlight how times have changed for the former bitter World War Two enemies - even though sticking points remain. Obama and Abe planned to use their Oval Office meeting on Tuesday to put their stamp on new guidelines for defense cooperation, a sign of Japan's readiness to take more responsibility for its security as China increasingly flexes muscle in the region.

But while Japan moves to loosen restrictions on its post- war pacifist constitution, details are still to be worked out on how much leeway its military will have to assist US forces beyond Japanese waters, especially in the tense South China Sea. Though the White House has dashed hopes for a breakthrough US-Japan trade deal during Abe's visit, the leaders will try to push the negotiations forward and chart a path toward a major 12-nation Pacific trade pact. "We welcome the significant progress that has been made in the bilateral negotiations and reaffirm our commitment to work together to achieve a swift and successful conclusion to the broader agreement," the two governments said in a joint "vision statement."

Abe, who on Wednesday will be the first Japanese prime minister to address a joint meeting of the US Congress, will face the challenge of helping Obama win over fellow Democrats who oppose the trade deal as being bad for US jobs. A deal between the two economic powerhouses is vital to clinching a Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, which would cover a third of world trade. But differences remain between Washington and Tokyo over autos and agriculture.

Bright Spots

In welcoming Abe to the White House, Obama stressed what his administration sees as bright spots in the relationship. "The United States has renewed our leadership in the Asia-Pacific," he said. "Prime Minister Abe is leading Japan to a new role on the world stage." Echoing Obama's words, Abe said he had made revitalizing the US-Japan relationship "the top priority of my foreign policy" and that it was now "more robust than ever."

However, on the security front, worries persist in Tokyo that Washington may not come to Japan's defense if needed one day. Secretary of State John Kerry told Japanese ministers on Monday that Washington's "iron-clad" commitment covered all territories under Tokyo's administration, including tiny East China Sea islets that Japan disputes with Beijing. Obama's top Asia adviser, Evan Medeiros, said on Monday that Obama would encourage a diplomatic solution with China in his talks with Abe but also reaffirm treaty commitments to help defend Japan.

Abe's speech to Congress will be closely scrutinized for what he says about Japan's wartime past, still a sensitive issue for Asian neighbors, including China and US ally South Korea, nearly 70 years after the end of World War Two. Abe is under pressure from critics to erase concerns that he wants to whitewash Japan's role of wartime aggression. His conservative domestic allies feel fresh apologies are unneeded.

In Boston on Monday, Abe said "my heart aches" for women he said were the victims of "human trafficking" and he said he stood by previous Japanese leaders' apologies about the war. His remarks came in response to a question about "comfort women," a Japanese euphemism for the thousands of Korean and other Asian women forced into prostitution at Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two.

At Abe's welcome ceremony, Obama made no mention of the controversy but noted the "historical significance" of his visit. "In 1960, President Eisenhower welcomed Prime Minister Abe's grandfather, Prime Minister Kishi, here to the White House," Obama said. "They signed the security treaty that endures to this day, committing American and Japan to an indestructible partnership."  

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