Will Trump's reelection keep golf buddy Abe around longer too?

Japanese leader becomes the nation's longest-serving prime minister

20191118N Abe Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrive at a golf course in Chiba Prefecture during Trump's trip to Japan in May. Some insiders say their rapport could lead to a fourth term for Abe. © Reuters

SHUNSUKE SHIGETA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Shinzo Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister Tuesday. Yet there is talk of him serving beyond his term limit in 2021, with some in the ruling party suggesting that another win by Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election would bolster that prospect.

Abe and Trump have built a strong rapport in recent years and are on a first-name basis. Other world leaders often ask the prime minster at bilateral meetings how he managed that feat with a famously unpredictable American leader.

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