At a gold-encrusted palace in Tokyo, US President Donald Trump showered praise on Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, telling her that their countries are "allies at the highest level" and promising to help Japan "in whatever way you need it."
The two leaders signed two vaguely worded agreements — one declaring a “new golden age of the U.S.-Japan alliance” and the other on cooperation to expand the rare earth metals supply chain. However, there was little sign of any progress on the details of the trade agreement the two countries signed in July, the New York Times reported.
There were no statements on the main point of contention between the two countries - how Japan intends to spend a promised $550 billion investment in the United States. That promise was part of a trade agreement, and in exchange for such a large investment, Japan was to receive a 15 percent tariff on its exports, a lower rate than Trump initially threatened.
Instead, both leaders focused more on what they have in common: a warm relationship with Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2022. Takaichi is his protégé, and yesterday's meeting was seen as an important test of how well she has studied Abe's approach to dealing with the unpredictable American president.
During Trump’s 2019 visit to Tokyo, Abe treated the president to a round of golf, a hibachi dinner and a visit to a sumo match. The Times reports that the new prime minister immediately showed that she had studied their relationship carefully. During the visit, she presented Trump with a golf bag signed by Japanese professional golfer Hideki Matsuyama, as well as a golf club that belonged to Abe, along with a map of locations in the United States where Japan plans to invest money, the White House said.
On his way to Tokyo, Trump had low expectations, telling reporters that he planned to “just make a big announcement of friendship” during his stay in the Japanese capital. That, the Times notes, appears to have been achieved during a visit to Akasaka Palace, where he and Takaichi bonded briefly while watching a World Series game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the LA Dodgers (favorites in Japan, where their star Shohei Otani currently plays). Later, the two spoke warmly of each other, signing “JAPAN IS BACK” caps and toasting each other over lunch.
The two leaders met under a lavish ceiling featuring a painting of Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, and the meeting was attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, and Commerce Secretary Howard Latnick.
“Prime Minister Abe has often spoken to me about your dynamic diplomacy,” Takaichi told Trump during the meeting, highlighting the president’s efforts to broker a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, as well as his work to achieve the same goal between Israel and Hamas. “I am personally very impressed and inspired by you.”
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt later said that Takaichi had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The US president, who often speaks of his commitment to ending world conflicts, is obsessed with winning the prize. The Japanese government said it had no comment on whether Trump had actually been nominated, citing the Nobel committee's principle that the nomination process should not be disclosed. Abe reportedly did the same during Trump's first term.
Trump sounded generous towards Takaichi, praising her for becoming the first woman elected as Japan's prime minister.
"He spoke of you with great respect even before we knew what was going to happen and before your rise," Trump said, referring to Abe. "It doesn't surprise me at all that you are now prime minister, and he would be very happy about that."
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Trump also promised that the US would provide assistance if it ever needed it. The Times says that this stance contrasts with the drastic reduction in aid and support to other countries during his term.
"I just want you to know, whenever you have any question, concern, need or service that you need, if I can help Japan in any way, we will be there," Trump told Takaichi. "We are allies at the highest level."
The American newspaper writes that Trump's gesture of goodwill bought the Japanese Prime Minister much-needed time.
“Japan, for now, appears to have escaped Trump’s expanding wave of tariffs. By signing the agreement with Trump, Takaichi has more time to talk about how best to invest money in industries within the United States,” the New York Times points out.
On his way to Tokyo, the president floated several ideas for how the money could be spent, including an agreement to build more ships to counter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. However, details of that plan, which was announced as part of an initial trade deal in July, were not released yesterday.
The two leaders also signed a framework agreement to work together to build supply chains and stockpiles of key minerals and rare earth metals, a sector dominated by China. Beijing has recently tightened controls on exports of rare earth metals, which are key components of everything from semiconductor chips to fighter jets.
As part of a six-day tour of Asia, Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to discuss a deal that would halt further increases in U.S. tariffs and Chinese restrictions on rare earth exports, according to Reuters.
Trump and Takaichi later flew to the US aircraft carrier George Washington in his presidential helicopter at Yokosuka Naval Base, near Tokyo. There, Trump gave an hour-long speech that covered topics ranging from the US southern border to American football, Reuters reported. He brought Takaichi onto the stage in front of 6.000 US Marines.
"This woman is a winner," he said, after which Takaichi thanked members of the military for their help in defending the region. Japan hosts the largest concentration of US military power abroad.
Trump added that deliveries of Japan's long-awaited order for US missiles for F-35 fighter jets will begin this week.
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