In TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump kicked off a whirlwind day during his Asia tour on Tuesday, starting with a meeting with Japan’s new prime minister. His agenda also includes addressing U.S. troops on an aircraft carrier and engaging with business executives.
The visit to this key Asian ally comes amid a backdrop of uncertainty. Sanae Takaichi, who recently became Japan’s first female prime minister, faces the challenge of strengthening ties with Trump while safeguarding Japan’s economic interests. Trump, on the other hand, is seeking to secure $550 billion in Japanese investment through a trade agreement aimed at reducing U.S. tariffs.
During their meeting, Trump and Takaichi exchanged a handshake, with Trump remarking, “That’s a very strong handshake.”
In a bid to foster goodwill, Takaichi is considering purchasing Ford F-150 trucks. Reporters observed a gold-colored Ford F-150 along with white American-made Toyota vehicles outside Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace, the official guest house for foreign dignitaries.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Japan for not buying enough American vehicles, citing their impractical size for Japan’s narrow roads.
While Trump’s Asian policy largely revolves around trade and tariffs, he is also scheduled to speak aboard the USS George Washington, stationed at a U.S. naval base near Tokyo.
Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, when he met with the emperor in a ceremonial visit. He was previously in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he participated in the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The gathering was an opportunity for Trump to celebrate an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, which skirmished along their disputed border earlier this year. Trump had pressured them to stop fighting by threatening to withhold trade agreements.
There were also signs that tensions between the U.S. and China were cooling ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which is expected to take place in South Korea later this week. Top negotiators from each country said a trade deal was coming together, which could prevent a potentially damaging confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.
Details were scarce, and it was unclear how much any agreement would resolve long-standing issues, or if it would return the relationship to the status quo before recent confrontations. China has restructured the export of rare earth elements that are critical for high-tech manufacturing, and Trump responded by threatening tariffs that even he admits would be unsustainable.
Trump is scheduled to leave Wednesday for South Korea, which is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
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Megerian reported from Seoul. Mayuko Ono and Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
