spelplakkers

ahmadfairbridg/spelplakkers

Japan and the US are crucial defence allies and oke.zone each other's leading foreign financiers

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump's 2nd top with a foreign leader because his return to the White House.

Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the country.

Ishiba will be promoting reassurance on the importance of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" agenda threats intruding on the countries' trade and defence ties.

"It would be fantastic if we could affirm that we will collaborate for the development this area and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed press reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the trip.

Japan's Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will release a joint statement, which might vow to build a "golden age" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "brand-new heights".

Ishiba is anticipated to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence buy from the United States, the Nikkei said.

Ishiba might likewise propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's strategy to "drill, infant, drill" while enhancing energy security for resource-poor Japan.

Since Japan has cut its melted gas (LNG) imports from Russia, it "frantically requires to open brand-new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly", Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.

"The intent is to present a win-win value proposal from Ishiba to the president," she said.

Trump will satisfy Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- just days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president triggered uproar with a proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The Japan top might be less stunning, Smith said, as Trump "has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia".

- Taiwan risk -

Ishiba has actually worried the value of US defence ties, pointing to risks on Japan's doorstep such as China pushing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tokyo must "continue to protect the US dedication to the area, to avoid a power vacuum causing local instability", Ishiba just recently informed parliament.

Trump and Ishiba are anticipated 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" since Japan and the United States should interact to prevent a prospective crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a global relations professional at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the concern of defence expenses, nevertheless, there are concerns Trump might provide less money and push Japan to do more, Smith said.

"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship might get a bit sticky," she said.

- After Abe -

Also triggering jitters is to slap trade tariffs on major garagesale.es trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has actually postponed procedures against the latter two nations pending talks.

"I hope Ishiba will show him there are other ways to attain economic security," such as cooperating on innovation, Shiraishi told AFP.

One example is the Stargate drive, announced after Trump's January inauguration, to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States, led by Japanese tech investment leviathan SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.

Reports said the leaders might likewise discuss Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid to buy US Steel, which Biden obstructed on nationwide security grounds.

Japan and the United States are each other's top foreign investors, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will agree on producing an investment-friendly environment.

During his first term, Trump and Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed warm relations.

As president-elect in December, Trump likewise hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan's assassinated ex-premier, for a dinner with Melania Trump at their Florida home.

Trump built a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a "genuine 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 very first Japanese VIP to meet the 78-year-old Trump in person since he took office-- a difference held by SoftBank creator Masayoshi Son.