Japan and the US are essential 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 second summit with a foreign leader considering that his return to the White House.

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

Ishiba will be promoting reassurance on the value of the US-Japan alliance, as Trump's "America First" agenda dangers encroaching on the countries' trade and defence ties.

"It would be fantastic if we might affirm that we will work together for the development this area and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed press reporters in Tokyo before leaving for the journey.

Japan's Nikkei paper said Thursday the pair will provide a joint declaration, which might vow to develop a "golden era" of bilateral relations and forum.altaycoins.com bring the alliance to "brand-new heights".

Ishiba is expected to inform Trump that Japan will increase defence buy from the United States, the Nikkei said.

Ishiba may also propose importing more US natural gas-- chiming with Trump's plan to "drill, baby, drill" while improving energy security for resource-poor Japan.

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

"The intent is to provide a win-win value 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 uproar with a proposition to take control of the Gaza Strip.

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

- Taiwan danger -

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

Tokyo should "continue to protect the US dedication to the area, to avoid a power vacuum resulting in local instability", Ishiba recently informed parliament.

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

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

Concentrating on this point is "exceptionally important" because Japan and the United States should interact to avoid a potential crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a global relations at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the concern of defence expenses, nevertheless, 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 triggering jitters is Trump's willingness to slap trade tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico-- though he has actually delayed procedures against the latter two nations pending talks.

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

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

Reports said the leaders might likewise discuss Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid to purchase US Steel, which Biden blocked on national security premises.

Japan and photorum.eclat-mauve.fr the United States are each other's leading foreign financiers, iuridictum.pecina.cz and the Nikkei reported that the leaders will agree on producing an investment-friendly environment.

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

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

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

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

Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to meet the 78-year-old Trump face to face since he took office-- a difference held by SoftBank creator Masayoshi Son.