Japan and bphomesteading.com the US are key defence allies and each other's top 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 because his return to the White House.

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

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

"It would be wonderful if we might affirm that we will interact for the advancement this region and the world and for peace," Ishiba informed reporters in Tokyo before leaving for setiathome.berkeley.edu the journey.

Japan's Nikkei newspaper said Thursday the pair will release a joint statement, which could vow to develop a "golden era" of bilateral relations and bring the alliance to "brand-new heights".

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

Ishiba may likewise propose importing more US gas-- chiming with Trump's strategy to "drill, infant, drill" while enhancing energy security for resource-poor Japan.

Since Japan has actually cut its liquefied natural 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 objective is to present a win-win worth proposal from Ishiba to the president," she said.

Trump will meet Ishiba in Washington on Friday-- just days after a joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, geohashing.site where the US president stimulated uproar with a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip.

The Japan summit might be less startling, 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, indicating dangers on Japan's doorstep such as China pressing its claims of sovereignty on the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Tokyo must "continue to secure the US dedication to the area, to avoid a power vacuum resulting in regional instability", Ishiba just recently informed parliament.

Trump and Ishiba are anticipated to affirm the value 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 essential" due to the fact that Japan and the United States must interact to avoid a potential crisis, said Takashi Shiraishi, a worldwide relations professional at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the problem of defence costs, elearnportal.science nevertheless, there are concerns Trump might offer less money and push Japan to do more, Smith said.

"That's where ... the Ishiba-Trump relationship might 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 delayed steps against the latter 2 nations pending talks.

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

One example is the Stargate drive, announced after Trump's January inauguration, surgiteams.com to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States, led by Japanese tech financial 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 obstructed on nationwide security grounds.

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

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

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

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

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

Ishiba, 68, will not be the first Japanese VIP to satisfy the 78-year-old Trump in individual because he took office-- a difference held by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son.