Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba with President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 7 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Tokyo and Washington are arranging for U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Japan on Oct. 27, prompting Japanese authorities to move up an extraordinary Diet session to choose the next prime minister, sources said.

This would be Trump’s first visit to Japan since taking office for the second time.

He is expected to meet with the Japanese prime minister to discuss the Japan-U.S. security alliance and trade issues.

But since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has already expressed his intention to resign, the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are now preparing to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Oct.15 to pick Ishiba’s successor.

Earlier, the session was expected to open in the latter half of the month.

Although the LDP-Komeito coalition lacks a majority in both Diet chambers, the winner of the LDP’s presidential election on Oct. 4 is expected to be named prime minister in the extraordinary session.

That is because major opposition parties cannot agree on a single politician to support in the Diet vote.

The new Cabinet is also expected to be inaugurated on Oct. 15.

Trump is considering attending ASEAN-related meetings to be held in Malaysia from Oct. 26 to 28 before arriving in Japan.

Following his trip to Japan, he is expected to visit South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which starts on Oct. 31.

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