Japan and the US are key defence allies and each other's leading foreign financiers

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday left for the United States ahead of what will be President Donald Trump's 2nd top with a foreign leader given that his go back to the White House.

Japan is one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the nation.

Ishiba will be pressing for peace of mind on the significance of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" agenda risks trespassing on the nations' trade and defence ties.

"It would be terrific if we could verify that we will work together for the advancement this region and the world and for peace," Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the journey.

Japan's Nikkei said Thursday the pair will provide a joint statement, which could vow to construct a "golden era" of bilateral relations and clashofcryptos.trade bring the alliance to "new heights".

Ishiba is anticipated to tell Trump that Japan will increase defence purchases from the United States, the Nikkei said.

Ishiba might likewise propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's plan to "drill, infant, drill" while boosting energy security for resource-poor Japan.

Since Japan has cut its melted gas (LNG) imports from Russia, it "desperately needs to open up brand-new sources of LNG, and other energy more broadly", Sheila Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, informed AFP.

"The objective is to provide a win-win worth proposition from Ishiba to the president," she said.

Trump will fulfill Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- simply days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the US president sparked outcry with a proposition to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The Japan summit might be less surprising, gratisafhalen.be Smith said, as Trump "has a fairly strong dedication to the alliances in Asia".

- Taiwan threat -

Ishiba has actually worried the significance of US defence ties, pointing to hazards on Japan's doorstep such as China pressing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tokyo must "continue to protect the US dedication to the region, to prevent a power vacuum resulting in regional instability", systemcheck-wiki.de Ishiba just recently told parliament.

Trump and Ishiba are anticipated to verify the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese media said.

That would echo joint statements made by the last US president Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers.

Concentrating on this point is "extremely important" because Japan and the United States need to interact to prevent a potential crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a worldwide relations expert at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defence expenses, nevertheless, wiki.vifm.info there are concerns Trump might supply less money and push Japan to do more, Smith said.

"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship could get a bit sticky," she said.

- After Abe -

Also causing jitters is Trump's desire to slap trade tariffs on significant trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has delayed measures against the latter 2 nations pending talks.

"I hope Ishiba will show him there are other ways to attain economic security," such as working together on innovation, Shiraishi told AFP.

One example is the Stargate drive, revealed after Trump's January inauguration, to invest approximately $500 billion in AI facilities in the United States, led by Japanese tech investment leviathan SoftBank Group and US firm OpenAI.

Reports said the leaders could also discuss Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid to buy US Steel, which Biden obstructed on nationwide security premises.

Japan and the United States are each other's top foreign investors, and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will concur on creating an investment-friendly environment.

During his first term, Trump and Japan's then-prime minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed warm relations.

As president-elect in December, Trump likewise hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan's assassinated ex-premier, for a supper with Melania Trump at their Florida home.

Trump built a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a "real fondness".

He will likely "see Ishiba through a various lens", said Smith, and "it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the personal".

Ishiba, disgaeawiki.info 68, will not be the very first Japanese VIP to meet the 78-year-old Trump personally given that he took office-- a difference held by SoftBank creator Masayoshi Son.