Japan says Abe to meet with Trump next week

TOKYO (AP) – The latest on world reaction to the U.S. presidential election (all times local):
3:30 a.m.
A Japanese official says Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump next week.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Thursday that Abe and Trump had talked by telephone and confirmed the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and their commitment for cooperation.
Their meeting “marks a very good start for building trust,” Suga said. Their talks are being arranged for Nov. 17 in New York.
Officials said Abe and Trump also confirmed their resolve to cooperate in ensuring peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, but did not discuss the trans-Pacific trade pact and other contentious issues such as the cost of American troops in Japan.
Kyodo News agency additionally reported that Trump praised the Japanese premier’s “Abenomics” economic measures.
3:30 a.m.
South Korean media say U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to maintain a strong U.S. military readiness to help guard against any aggression from North Korea.
Yonhap news agency cites unidentified diplomatic officials in reporting discussions Trump had in a 10–minute telephone conversation with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Yonhap says Trump told her that he agrees “100 percent” in hoping the two allies will further bolster their ties.
Park’s office confirms Park and Trump talked by phone but hasn’t provided specifics on their conversation.
There have been worries in South Korea that a Trump presidency could bring a major shift in U.S. economic and diplomatic ties with Seoul. Trump has questioned the value of the U.S.-South Korea security alliance.
3 a.m.
Hong Kong’s leader has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. election victory.
In a statement, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying says the government of the semiautonomous southern Chinese financial hub “looks forward to further deepening our links with the U.S.”
In Leung’s words, “Hong Kong and the U.S. enjoy close economic and trade ties, the two places have also established close connections in various areas such as education, innovation, culture and tourism.”
Both Trump and Leung are wealthy businessmen with backgrounds in real estate.
2:40 a.m.
Australia’s prime minister says he spoke with Donald Trump over the telephone and the U.S. president-elect agrees on the importance of the U.S. military alliance with Australia and the importance of the U.S. military presence to the security of the Asia-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Trump “appreciates, honors” and “admires” the 65-year-old bilateral defense pact that requires the security partners to consult if either comes under attack but does not commit them to come to the other’s defense.
Turnbull would not say whether Trump plans to continue to increase the U.S. military buildup in Australia. He described their talk as “warm” and “very frank.”