US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Tokyo on Monday for a previously unscheduled short visit, to offer his personal condolences to the Japanese people in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Blinken arrived at the Yokota military base near Tokyo, before returning later to the United States after completing a tour of Southeast Asia. Blinken is scheduled to stay only a few hours in the Japanese capital and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“I think everyone is still traumatized by this murder, the shock of the loss to his family, friends and the world,” Blinken told his Thai counterpart Don Pramodwinai on Sunday. “I know how strong this feeling is in the region and all over the world,” he added.
Abe, a prominent figure in Japan and the longest-serving prime minister, has been a staunch advocate of strengthening military and diplomatic relations with the United States. He was shot dead Friday during an election rally in Nara (west).
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