Japan’s PM to seek ‘personal relationship’ with Trump
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is ready to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, as the Japanese leader expects to strengthen the relationship with the country’s primary foreign partner.
The US and Japanese officials stated that economic and safety concerns – especially North Korea – will be high on the agenda, as well as with advanced techniques such as Artificial Intelligence.
Ishiba and Japanese Officer Said that the main objective of the journey is to create personal relations with Trump – who had warm relations with former PM Shinzo Abe during his first term.
Since Trump’s second administration began in January, the journey marks for the first time by an Asian leader at the White House.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a second visit to the White House by a foreign leader during the new administration, after a tornado journey.
Before leaving for Washington, told reporters, “This will be our first face-to-face conversation.” “I would like to focus on creating a personal relationship of trust between the two.”
During Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021, he increased close to the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, bonding on golf. Abe resigned in 2020 and Murdered after two years,
Japanese officials said Ishiba did “all possible preparations” for his meeting with Trump, including Abe’s advice from a widow – who attended the opening as a guest of Melania Trump – and his predecessor, Fumio From Kishida.
Senior officials of the Trump administration focused the visit mainly on “peace and prosperity” in Pacific. Trump is likely to bring realistic training exercises between the US Army and Japan’s self-defense forces as well as cooperation on defense investment.
The White House said that semiconductor and artificial intelligence would also be on the agenda.
From the Japanese point of view, Ishiba is expected to outline Japan’s role as a major economic partner for the US, and has been revealed that Japan has been the top foreign investor in the US for five consecutive years.
Among the multinational firms, Japanese companies are the largest job makers in 10 states and the second largest among one and six.
In Kentki alone, Japanese companies employ over 45,000 people, mainly in auto equipment manufacturing.
There is also a possibility of defense and security discussions, including recent commitment to increase Japan’s defense spending to 2% – below 5% which Trump has invited among NATO colleagues – as well as about Taiwan’s defense and North Korea American commitment to mutual concerns.
Japanese officials consider North Korea’s growing military relations with Russia as worrying, especially the possibility of Russian missile technology being transferred to his colleague.
Officials of the Trump administration said it shares Japan’s “commitment” to an atomic-north Korea.
