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Trump arrives in Japan, starts Asian tour

TOKYO, Nov 5 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan from Hawaii on Sunday on the first leg of his five-nation Asian tour that will also take him to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Trump landed at the US Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo, where he spoke in front of a crowd of American and Japanese troops. "Japan is a treasured partner and crucial ally of the US and today we thank them for welcoming us and for decades of wonderful friendship between our two nations," the president said.
"On behalf of the US, I send the warmest wishes of the America people to the citizens of this remarkable country," he said.
Trump is scheduled to play golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later in the day ahead of their formal summit meeting on Monday evening.
Abe and Trump are expected to renew their commitment to the bilateral alliance and their stance to apply the maximum pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. His three-day visit to Japan comes amid growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons, as Pyongyang conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September, which it said was an H-bomb that can be mounted on a long-range missile. It also fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan in the mid-September.
It is Trump's first visit to Japan since taking office last year. He is also scheduled to meet the Emperor and Empress at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Thursday. (end) mk.rk