U.S. President Donald Trump lavished praise on Japan's first female leader Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday, welcoming her pledge to accelerate a military buildup and signing deals on trade and critical minerals.
Takaichi, a close ally of Trump's friend and golfing partner late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
She is also expected to offer a package of U.S. investments under a $550-billion deal agreed this year, including shipbuilding, and increased purchases of U.S. soybeans, natural gas and pickup trucks, sources familiar with the talk said.
Those gestures may temper any Trump demands for Tokyo to spend more on defending islands from an increasingly assertive China, which Takaichi sought to head off by pledging last week to fast-track plans to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP.
"It's a very strong handshake," Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo.
"Everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great prime ministers. I'd also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. It's a big deal," Trump told Takaichi as the pair sat down for discussions with their delegations.
Takaichi gifted Trump Abe's putter, a golf bag signed by Japanese major winner Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball, according to photos posted on X by Trump's assistant Margo Martin.
Trump also praised Japan's efforts purchase more U.S. defence equipment, while Takaichi said Trump's role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Palestinian militants, were "unprecedented" achievements.
Takaichi followed other world leaders to recommended Trump for the Peace Prize he has long said he is worthy of.
The leaders then signed an agreement to support the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, as the countries seek to wean reliance off China's chokehold on the materials crucial for a wide range of products from smartphones to fighter jets.
The deal aims to jointly identify projects of interest in areas such as magnets and batteries over the next six months and work together to develop stockpiles of key minerals among other measures.
Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.
The U.S. leader received a royal welcome shortly after his arrival on Monday, meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.
Takaichi's gifts to Trump and repeated references to Abe are aimed at evoking memories of a close bond forged over hours the pair spent golfing together during Trump's first term. Abe was assassinated in 2022, with the trial of his assailant coincidentally beginning in the western city of Nara on Tuesday.
A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan's key security and trade partner could help Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.
Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming prime minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament's lower house.
Trump and Takaichi will later visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the U.S. military's powerful presence in the region.
Trump will then meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world's two biggest economies.
British Steel has secured a multi-million-pound order to supply rail for a major high-speed railway in Türkiye. Backed by UK Export Finance, the deal...
AnewZ Talks returns with a new season, recorded at the Faculty of Arts at Garabagh University, in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan....
...
Afghan and Uzbek traders have signed 25 agreements worth more than $300 million at a business conference, as officials from both sides said trade ties...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington on Thursd...
A new freight corridor linking China with Tajikistan via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has entered pilot operation, marking another step in Central Asia’s expanding transport connectivity.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington on Thursday, representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has said.
U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended after two days of negotiations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as difficult, while signalling progress on the military track.
Millions of Muslims around the world have begun observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the most sacred period in Islam.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Ruben Vardanyan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Baku Military Court after being found guilty of a series of offences including war crimes, terrorism and crimes against humanity.
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on 16 February that the Honourable Janice Charette has been appointed as the next Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States. She's been tasked with overseeing the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
The Pentagon has threatened to designate artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” amid a dispute over the military use of its Claude AI model, according to a report published Monday.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed two people in 12 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended after two days of negotiations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as difficult, while signalling progress on the military track.
Millions of Muslims around the world have begun observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the most sacred period in Islam.
Foreign intelligence services are able to see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russia's minister for digital development Maksud Shadayev said on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
The drumbeats have finally faded at the Marquês de Sapucaí, bringing the competitive phase of the Rio Carnival 2026 to a dazzling close. Over two marathon nights of spectacle, the twelve elite schools of the "Special Group" transformed the Sambadrome into a riot of colour.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment