Japan PM Abe to hold 2-day summit with Trump: Sources

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump in New York. PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are planning to extend their summit meeting scheduled for Feb 10 by one day, two Japanese government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

After meeting with Trump in Washington, officials are arranging for Abe to then meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago private resort in Florida on Feb 11, where they may even play golf, the sources said.

Trade and currency policy are likely to be high on the agenda during the summit. Trump has criticised the lack of access to the Japanese auto market for US producers and said Tokyo is using monetary policy to devalue its currency.

Japan is expected to defend its auto sector, which has built many manufacturing plants in the United States.

Japan is also expected to emphasise that its monetary policy is intended to spur inflation and not trigger competitive devaluation.

A Japanese government spokesman said the details of Abe's trip haven't been decided yet.

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