Japan and wiki.tld-wars.space the US are key defence allies and pipewiki.org 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 summit with a foreign leader considering that his go back to the White House.
Japan is among the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the country.
Ishiba will be pressing for reassurance on the value of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" agenda dangers intruding on the countries' trade and defence ties.
"It would be wonderful if we could affirm that we will collaborate for the advancement this area and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the journey.
Japan's Nikkei paper said Thursday the pair will release a joint statement, which might vow to construct a "golden age" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "new heights".
Ishiba is expected to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence buy from the United States, the Nikkei said.
Ishiba may also propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's plan to "drill, infant, drill" while improving energy security for resource-poor Japan.
Since Japan has cut its liquefied natural 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 worth proposition from Ishiba to the president," she said.
Trump will satisfy Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- simply days after a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president triggered uproar with a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.
The Japan top might be less startling, Smith said, disgaeawiki.info as Trump "has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia".
- Taiwan risk -
Ishiba has stressed the significance of US defence ties, allmy.bio pointing to hazards on Japan's doorstep such as China pushing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Tokyo should "continue to secure the US dedication to the area, to prevent a power vacuum resulting in local instability", Ishiba recently informed parliament.
Trump and Ishiba are anticipated to verify the value of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.
That would echo joint statements made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.
Concentrating on this point is "extremely essential" because Japan and the United States must interact to avoid a possible crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, an international relations specialist at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.
As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the problem of defence expenses, however, bbarlock.com there are issues Trump could supply 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 causing jitters is Trump's determination to slap trade tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has actually postponed steps against the latter 2 nations pending talks.
"I hope Ishiba will show him there are other ways 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 infrastructure in the United States, bio.rogstecnologia.com.br led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.
Reports said the leaders could also discuss Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion quote to purchase US Steel, which Biden blocked on national security premises.
Japan and the United States are each other's leading foreign investors, and the Nikkei reported that the will settle on developing 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 constructed 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 first Japanese VIP to fulfill the 78-year-old Trump face to face since he took office-- a distinction held by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son.
1
Japan pM Heads to uS For Trump Summit
Abbey Imlay edited this page 2 months ago