US mourns for Shinzo Abe: Blinken to visit Japan to pay condolences, Yellen cancels speech in deference

The State Department announced late on Saturday (July 9)that US Secretary Antony Blinken would be extending his travel to Asia to include a stop in Tokyo so that he could express his condolences to the Japanese for the death of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who has been assassinated. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meanwhile decided to postpone her visit to the Port of Yokohama during, following the murder of Abe, an official announced. However, her bilateral meetings in Japan will still happen, as per the official.

The world’s longest-serving prime minister, Abe was shot on Friday (July 8), while campaigning in one of the safest nations in the world. In an effort to break some of his nation’s post-war pacifism, Abe had established close ties with the US, particularly in the area of defence.

Prior to that, US President Joe Biden personally visited the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Washington to sign a condolence book.

Watch |Gravitas: A look back at Shinzo Abe's political legacy

Blinken, after Group of 20 talks in Bali, said, "Prime Minister Abe really brought that partnership to new heights. The friendship between the Japanese and American people is likewise unshakable. He further added, "So we're standing with the people of Japan, with the prime minister's family, in the aftermath of a truly, truly appalling act of violence."

Yellen was supposed to visit the port, participate in a roundtable with business executives, tour the facilities and give a speech.During her visit to Asia, Yellen will be attending a gathering of the Group of 20 major economies in Indonesia and speaking with South Korean officials in an effort to rally support for a price ceiling on Russian oil, the Treasury Department said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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