By David Asta Alares
Tokyo, Oct 26 (EFE).— Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has multiplied goodwill gestures toward US President Donald Trump ahead of his arrival in Tokyo on Monday, a crucial diplomatic test for the recently elected leader, amid uncertainties over Washington’s stance on trade and defense.
Trump is scheduled to land in Japan on Monday afternoon, according to the White House, for a three-day official visit following his participation in Sunday’s ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
Tuning gestures
“Warm and cheerful,” as well as “pleasant” and “frank,” were among the adjectives both sides used to describe the leaders’ telephone conversation Saturday night, just five days after Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister.
During their call, Takaichi told Trump that Tokyo’s “top diplomatic and security priority” is to strengthen its alliance with Washington.
“We agreed to raise the alliance to even higher levels,” she said, repeating a message she has stressed almost daily since taking office last Tuesday.
“It was great,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about the call. “We’ll see her very soon.”
Political winks from Tokyo
Saturday’s call capped five days of gestures by Takaichi on one of the most sensitive issues in the bilateral relationship, defense spending, expected to feature prominently in Tuesday’s talks.
The Trump administration has repeatedly urged Tokyo to raise military expenditure, and on Friday Takaichi announced that Japan will accelerate by two years its plan to boost defense spending to 2 percent of GDP.
Although the decision, first taken in 2022, marks a major shift in Japan’s postwar security policy, the US president has signaled that he considers it insufficient.
The tariff question
While making promises on defense, Takaichi, whose ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leads a fragile minority coalition, has remained cautious on trade.
She said she would do her best to “alleviate” the impact of US tariffs but offered no further details.
Tokyo and Washington reached a trade agreement in July after months of negotiations, under which Japan must pay tariffs of 15 percent and invest $550 billion in the United States.
After winning the LDP leadership race on Oct. 4, Takaichi said Japan would “observe” the agreement, particularly its investment commitments, leaving open the possibility of a review.
Japan’s continued imports of Russian liquefied natural gas also loom over the talks after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Tokyo to halt them earlier this month.
Tokyo has defended its stance, saying it must act in its national interest.
The shadow of Abe
A conservative nationalist representing the hardline wing of the LDP, Takaichi is widely seen as the political heir of slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who enjoyed a close personal relationship with Trump.
“Prime Minister Abe was a great friend of mine,” Trump said en route to Malaysia. “He liked her very much, and she liked him very much. So that’s a good sign.”
Tokyo hopes that goodwill will translate into a strong “personal” relationship between the two leaders, government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said Wednesday. EFE
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AloJapan.com