Copyright kyodonews
KUALA LUMPUR - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday left Malaysia for Japan, where he will begin his second leg of a three-nation Asia trip. Visiting Japan for the first time since June 2019, Trump's primary goal is to set the tone for the bilateral relationship in his second presidency with the country's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. After arriving in Tokyo amid tight security, Trump will first meet with Emperor Naruhito before holding talks the following day with Takaichi, who became Japan's first female leader after taking office just a week ago. On Saturday, Takaichi and Trump spoke by phone briefly and told reporters afterward that they had a favorable impression of each other. "I think she's going to be great. She's a great friend of Mr. Abe, who was a great man. Prime Minister Abe was a great friend of mine, as you know," Trump said. "He liked her a lot. She liked him a lot. So that's a good sign. I look forward to meeting her." Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot during a campaign speech in 2022, built a close personal relationship with Trump during his first presidency. Takaichi, a hard-line conservative and an ardent follower of Abe, has suggested her Cabinet will emulate many of his national security and economic policies. She told Trump during the call, which he made aboard Air Force One while en route to Kuala Lumpur, that strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is "my administration's top priority." Takaichi, who returned to Tokyo from Malaysia early Monday after attending meetings with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said at the time she also told him that Japan is "an indispensable partner for the United States, both in its strategy toward China and in its Indo-Pacific strategy." Her intentions to boost Japan's defense capabilities and step up cooperation with the United States in strategic areas are likely to resonate with Trump. Cooperation in shipbuilding is among several deals to be signed by Japan and the United States before Trump heads to South Korea on Wednesday morning, according to government sources. The Trump administration has pledged to restore shipbuilding capacity in the United States amid China's growing dominance of the industry. Joint efforts to improve supply chains for critical minerals essential for high-tech industries and to expand imports of U.S. farm products to Japan are also part of a trade deal the two allies reached this summer after months of negotiations sparked by Trump's high tariffs. Trump's itinerary is similar to his state visit to Tokyo in May 2019, during which he also met with the emperor and visited Yokosuka, where Japanese and U.S. naval forces are stationed. To demonstrate the strength of the decades-old alliance, Takaichi is set to join Trump aboard Marine One for a visit to the U.S. naval base in the port city near Tokyo and tour the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington, according to the sources. Later Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to attend a meeting with Japanese business leaders, possibly including SoftBank Group Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son and Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda. Trump is almost certain to call on Japanese companies to increase investment and produce more in the United States.
