PM Abe Tour Duterte's Davao City Home Before Visiting Australia and Indonesia

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets a taste of “durian diplomacy” in Duterte’s home town.

Davao City, the Philippines, 14 Rabiul Akhir 1438/13 January 2017 (MINA) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited President Rodrigo Duterte at his home here on Friday, in a rare diplomatic gesture aimed at strengthening relations between their two nations, news agencies reported.

Abe’s visit to Duterte’s house is a sign of “friendship and confidence” according to diplomats, who said the Japanese leader could be trying to help repair strained the Philippines’ strained ties with the US, their common ally.

Abe is the first head of government to visit the country under Duterte. He is also the highest-ranking foreign official to visit Davao, which is known as the “Little Tokyo” of the Philippines for its large population of Japanese who settled in the city before the Second World War.

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The Japanese leader on Thursday pledged $8.7 billion worth of business opportunities and private investments along with speedboats and other counterterrorism equipment to the Philippines, whose president has boosted ties with China.

He left for Sydney from Davao City after a festive trip and is expected to arrive Friday evening, January 13.

After Australia, Abe will visit Vietnam and Indonesia next. Abe will be the first foreign leader to visit Indonesia in 2017. (T/RS05/RS91)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)