- Title: U.S. Ambassador to Japan hopes for inclusive new president
- Date: 9th November 2016
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (NOVEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF U.S. AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN TOKYO U.S. EMBASSY LOGO ON GATE CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, HILLARY CLINTON AND DONALD TRUMP, STANDING IN LOBBY SURROUNDED BY "WATCH PARTY" GUESTS WOMAN TAKING PHOTO OF GUEST HOLDING CARDBOARD READING (English): "I VOTED" GUEST CROWED IN RECEPTION HALL VARIOUS OF GUESTS WATCHING ELECTION RESULTS ON TELEVISION U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, CAROLINE KENNEDY, STANDING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, CAROLINE KENNEDY, STANDING AT PODIUM "The America that I know deserves a president who stands for tolerance, inclusion, diversity, respects for human rights, rule of law and the commitment to those who're often left out of the solutions - women, children and the less fortunate. The America I know deserves a president who embraces our immigration heritage and is committed to work with our friends and allies around the world to bring hope and opportunity and to work for peace. KENNEDY TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, CAROLINE KENNEDY, STANDING AT PODIUM "And even though Ambassadors are not supposed to express any opinion and you know that I abide by the rules, I think we're going to get the kind of president we deserve." GUESTS CLAPPING GUESTS WATCHING TELEVISION (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JAPAN, CHRIS LAFLEUR, SAYING: "Mr. Trump was criticizing very heavily the economic relationship and the trade relationship between the U.S. and Japan as well as some of the key platform planks in our security alliance. So, given that circumstances, I think it wouldn't be surprising that people in Japan will cheer a victory by Secretary Clinton and would be concerned if Mr. Trump were to win." GUESTS TALKING TO EACH OTHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, STEPHEN NAGY, SAYING: "The Japanese government is trying to ratify the TPP in the Diet and most of them are waiting for the result of this election because Trump's victory will probably mean that Japanese commitment to TPP will be watered down or they would find another regional economic agreement to move forward. If Clinton moves forward there's a possibility of them ratifying quickly." GUESTS WATCHING TELEVISION COOKIES IN SHAPES OF CLINTON AND TRUMP
- Embargoed: 24th November 2016 03:45
- Keywords: election Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Caroline Kennedy US
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00157Q2153
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As people across Japan watch the counting of ballots for the U.S. presidential election with cautious eyes, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy held a "watch party" inviting Japanese and international guests to her residence on Wednesday (November 9).
"The America that I know deserves a president who stands for tolerance, inclusion, diversity, respects for human rights, rule of law and the commitment to those who're often left out of the solutions - women, children and the less fortunate. The America I know deserves a president who embraces our immigration heritage and is committed to work with our friends and allies around the world to bring hope and opportunity and to work for peace," Kennedy said to about a hundred guests, including Japanese government figures and foreign envoys to Japan, who gathered to watch the election results broadcast on television.
"And even though Ambassadors are not supposed to express any opinion and you know that I abide by the rules, I think we're going to get the kind of president we deserve," Kennedy added.
Republican Donald Trump scored a series of surprising wins in battleground states including Florida and Ohio on Tuesday (November 8) night in the U.S., opening a path to the White House for the political outsider and rattling world markets counting on a win by Democrat Hillary Clinton.
One of the guests, the president of American Chamber of Commerce Japan, Chris LaFleur, said people in Japan would be concerned by a Trump victory.
"Mr. Trump was criticizing very heavily the economic relationship and the trade relationship between the U.S. and Japan as well as some of the key platform planks in our security alliance. So, given that circumstances, I think it wouldn't be surprising that people in Japan will cheer a victory by Secretary Clinton and would be concerned if Mr. Trump were to win," he said.
Another guest, Associate Professor at International Christian University, Stephen Nagy, said Japan was keen on the election result at it would determine the fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
"The Japanese government is trying to ratify the TPP in the Diet and most of them are waiting for the result of this election because Trump's victory will probably mean that Japanese commitment to TPP will be watered down or they would find another regional economic agreement to move forward. If Clinton moves forward there's a possibility of them ratifying quickly," Nagy said.
Japanese lower house passed the a bill ratifying Japan's participation in the proposed 12-nation deal last Friday (November 4) and sent the bill to the upper house or House of Councillors.
The TPP trade deal, championed by Barack Obama in part to increase U.S. influence in Asia, was to be an essential feature of Washington's strategic pivot to Asia - an "economic NATO".
Trump has vowed to pull the United States out of TPP, saying he is concerned that China, though the trade agreement does not include the country, could try to enter it through the "back door." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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