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U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, beginning the next phase of an Asia tour dominated by the prospect of resolving the bruising trade war with China.
Speaking en route, Trump expressed optimism about finalising a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in South Korea on Thursday, noting that preliminary talks had already yielded a “preliminary consensus,” preventing additional 100% tariffs and securing agreements on rare earths and American soybean exports.
In Japan, Trump is scheduled to meet Emperor Naruhito and new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Takaichi affirmed that strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is her top priority, citing a recent pledge to increase defence spending to two per cent of GDP.
However, trade remains a sticking point; Trump seeks greater Japanese imports of U.S. goods, including cars and rice, and the U.S. is pushing Japan to raise its defence spending even further.
Beyond the trade agenda, Trump fuelled speculation by stating he is open to extending his trip to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom he noted he “got along great” during their last summit in 2019.
The Asia trip follows several diplomatic successes in Malaysia, where Trump agreed to trade and mineral deals and signed ceasefire pacts rewarding Cambodia and Thailand following the ASEAN summit.
