Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, is considering a visit to Japan in late April, a diplomatic source said Thursday.
During the planned visit, DeSantis would hold talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, the source said, adding the governor would also seek a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
It would be DeSantis' first trip to Japan since taking office in 2019 and he is planning to lead a delegation of business leaders from the southern U.S. state, the source said.
In addition to Japan, the former congressman, who has not yet officially declared a presidential bid, is making arrangements for a trip to South Korea and may also stop in Israel en route, according to the source.
DeSantis, who was re-elected to a second term in November, is seen as one of the major potential contenders to seek the Republican nomination. The 44-year-old was once a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, whose endorsement helped him become governor of Florida.
But the two are now increasingly at odds and Trump, who was charged this week with 34 felony counts related to his alleged role in a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 presidential election, has sharpened his attacks on the governor.
Trump is a front-runner in the Republican presidential field ahead of the election in November 2024, and DeSantis remains the second favorite, but some poll results released before and after the indictment showed that the former president's lead is growing.
DeSantis took a hawkish stance on foreign policy when he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives between 2013 and 2018.
But his current orientation is still unclear and it remains to be seen whether he will unveil his own stance on the long-standing U.S.-Japan security alliance or China's rise during a possible visit to Asia.
Like Trump, DeSantis is against U.S. provision of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
