Japan and the US are essential defence allies and each other's leading foreign investors
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump's second top with a foreign leader since his return to the White House.
Japan is among the of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military workers stationed in the country.
Ishiba will be promoting peace of mind on the significance of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" program dangers trespassing on the nations' trade and defence ties.
"It would be terrific if we could verify that we will collaborate for the development this region and the world and for peace," Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the journey.
Japan's Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will issue a joint declaration, which might vow to develop a "golden age" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "brand-new heights".
Ishiba is expected to inform Trump that Japan will increase defence purchases from the United States, the Nikkei said.
Ishiba might also propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's strategy to "drill, child, drill" while enhancing energy security for resource-poor Japan.
Since Japan has cut its melted natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, it "desperately needs to open up new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly", Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, informed AFP.
"The intention is to provide a win-win worth proposal from Ishiba to the president," she said.
Trump will meet Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- just days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president stimulated uproar with a proposition to take control of the Gaza Strip.
The Japan top might be less shocking, Smith said, as Trump "has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia".
- Taiwan risk -
Ishiba has actually stressed the importance of US defence ties, indicating threats on Japan's doorstep such as China pressing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Tokyo should "continue to secure the US dedication to the region, to avoid a power vacuum leading to regional instability", Ishiba just recently informed parliament.
Trump and Ishiba are expected to verify the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.
That would echo joint declarations made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.
Concentrating on this point is "extremely important" due to the fact that Japan and the United States should interact to prevent a potential crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a global relations specialist at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.
As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defence expenses, nevertheless, there are concerns Trump could provide less money and push Japan to do more, Smith said.
"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship could get a bit sticky," she said.
- After Abe -
Also causing jitters is Trump's desire to slap trade tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, videochatforum.ro and Mexico-- though he has actually postponed steps against the latter two countries pending talks.
"I hope Ishiba will show him there are other methods to attain financial security," such as cooperating on technology, Shiraishi told AFP.
One example is the Stargate drive, revealed after Trump's January inauguration, to invest up to $500 billion in AI facilities in the United States, led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.
Reports said the leaders might also discuss Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion quote to buy US Steel, which Biden blocked on nationwide security grounds.
Japan and the United States are each other's top foreign financiers, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will settle on developing an investment-friendly environment.
During his very first term, Trump and Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe took pleasure in warm relations.
As president-elect in December, Trump also hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan's assassinated ex-premier, for a supper with Melania Trump at their Florida house.
Trump constructed a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a "authentic fondness".
He will likely "see Ishiba through a different lens", said Smith, and "it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the individual".
Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to fulfill the 78-year-old Trump in person since he took workplace-- a difference held by SoftBank creator Masayoshi Son.
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Japan pM Heads to uS For Trump Summit
Ada Koehler edited this page 2025-02-12 05:00:10 +08:00