On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis traveled to Japan to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the first stop on his 2023 international trade mission, an endeavor to build on the economic relationships the Sunshine State has with foreign countries and will include trips to South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
Reuters reports DeSantis said to Kishida, “We really appreciate what a great ally Japan has been to the U.S. for many, many decades. We very much applaud your efforts to bolster your defenses. We understand it’s a tough neighborhood out here and we really believe that a strong Japan is good for America, and a strong America is good for Japan.”
Japan has recently released a $315 billion military expansion plan in the face of increased hostility from neighboring China, a move that DeSantis applauded.
According to Florida’s Voice, after the meeting DeSantis said, “We had the privilege of meeting with Prime Minister Kishida to build on discussions we had during the SEUS Japan Conference in Florida this past fall. We look forward to strengthening the relationship between Japan and Florida.”
Fox News reports that DeSantis’ international trip is a move to “bolster his foreign policy expertise” and that the Florida governor meeting with the leaders of foreign countries “gives the appearance he is aware of global issues and is ready to govern on day one of a potential administration.”
When he announced the trip, DeSantis said, “Florida has the 15th largest economy in the world, and that is because our state has worked to create partnerships with other countries to create jobs and boost the economy. This trade mission will give us the opportunity to strengthen economic relationships and continue to demonstrate Florida’s position as an economic leader.”
Prior to his international trip, DeSantis had been traveling within the US to speak about his “Florida Blueprint” of governing and promote his book The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival.
Ron DeSantis has not announced his bid for president and has lagged behind former President Donald Trump in recent polls.
DeSantis asked about trailing Trump:
“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” Gov. DeSantis, who is in Japan right now, says when asked about polls that show him falling behind Trump.
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