Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Japan on Monday to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other officials as part of his four-nation trade mission seen as an attempt by the expected Republican presidential candidate to improve his diplomatic profile.
During their meeting Monday at the Prime Minister’s Office, Kishida told DeSantis that reinforcement of Japan-U.S. ties is key to ensuring the peace, stability and prosperity of the international society, and the two exchanged views on regional issues, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.
DeSantis is considered the biggest challenger to former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. He is expected to announce his candidacy in early May.
He has already been meeting with Republican officials and aggressively touring battleground states in the U.S.DeSantis’ trip, announced Thursday, also includes South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. He said it’s aimed at strengthening economic relationships and demonstrating Florida’s position as an economic leader.
Kishida welcomed DeSantis’ first trip to Japan and expressed his expectations that the visit will contribute to further strengthening of Japan’s relationship with the United States as well as Florida, the Foreign Ministry said.