Japan’s Prime Minister to Meet President Trump in US
Upcoming Visit and Agenda
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will meet President Donald Trump on a visit to the United States this week, according to top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi. The visit is scheduled to take place from February 6-8, during which Ishiba will hold his first face-to-face summit meeting with President Trump in Washington DC.
Building Strong Relationship of Trust
Hayashi stated that the visit aims to build a strong relationship of trust with the new US administration and take the US-Japan alliance to new heights. Ishiba is expected to discuss several key issues with Trump, including increasing imports of US shale gas and a bid by Nippon Steel to buy US Steel.
Shale Gas and Nippon Steel Acquisition
The Nikkei business daily reported that Ishiba wants to discuss increasing imports of US shale gas with Trump, aligning with the president’s pledge to "drill, baby, drill." Additionally, Ishiba is expected to discuss a bid by Nippon Steel to buy US Steel, which was blocked by previous president Joe Biden citing national security concerns.
Request for Trump’s Visit to Japan
Ishiba intends to ask Trump to visit Japan at the earliest opportunity, local media reported. This comes after Ishiba held a brief telephone call with then-president-elect Trump in November and had reportedly unsuccessfully sought to meet with him before his inauguration in January.
Strengthening Ties with the US
Ishiba has emphasized the importance of close ties with the United States for regional stability. In a policy speech, he stated that as the balance of power in the region undergoes a historic change, Japan must deepen its cooperation with the US further, in a concrete manner.
Concerns over China’s Military Build-up and "America First" Policies
Ishiba’s comments underscored jitters over China’s military build-up in the Asia-Pacific and Trump’s "America First" policies, which may include demanding that allies such as Japan shoulder a larger proportion of defence costs. Japan and the US are key defence allies and each other’s top foreign investors.
SoftBank’s Investment in the US
Ahead of Ishiba’s visit, Masayoshi Son, head of Japanese tech investor SoftBank, stood beside Trump to announce a $100 billion investment in the United States. Son also attended Trump’s inauguration and announced a $500 billion project called Stargate to build AI infrastructure in the US with Oracle and OpenAI.
Extending Stargate to Japan
On Monday evening, Son and OpenAI chief Sam Altman met Ishiba and discussed extending Stargate into Japan. Son stated that they want to create the cutting-edge AI infrastructure, including the world’s biggest and most advanced AI data centers.
Conclusion
The upcoming visit by Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to the United States is expected to be a significant event, with discussions centered around strengthening the US-Japan alliance and addressing key issues such as shale gas imports and national security concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of Ishiba’s visit to the US?
A: Ishiba will hold his first face-to-face summit meeting with President Trump and discuss key issues such as increasing imports of US shale gas and a bid by Nippon Steel to buy US Steel.
Q: What is the significance of the US-Japan alliance?
A: The US-Japan alliance is a key defence alliance and a vital component of regional stability.
Q: What are the concerns over China’s military build-up in the Asia-Pacific?
A: Japan and the US are concerned about China’s military build-up in the region, which may lead to a power vacuum and regional instability.
Q: What is SoftBank’s Stargate project?
A: Stargate is a $500 billion project to build AI infrastructure in the US with Oracle and OpenAI.