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On October 15th, Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan from September 2006 to September 2007 and a member of the Japanese Diet since 1993, delivered a major address to »ªÌå»á. His speech, at the Capital Hilton, focused on the future of the U.S.-Japanese relationship and its implications for Pacific and global security.

Abe also offered remarks on recent action by China to assert maritime dominance, including those that led to a collision between a Chinese trawler and Japanese coast guard vessels in the East China Sea on September 7th.

Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Abe was Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 during the Koizumi administration, and was Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2000 to 2003 in the Mori and Koizumi Cabinets. From 2003 to 2004 Abe was the Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and served as the chief negotiator for the Japanese government on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees. During his first term in the House of Representatives in 1993, Abe was appointed to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and was also Director of the LDP Social Affairs Division, where he focused on pension and social security systems.