Ishiba’s U.S. Visit: Trade, Defense, and Energy on Agenda For Meeting With Trump

• Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking reassurances about the U.S.-Japan alliance.
• Ishiba may propose increasing U.S. natural gas imports, enhancing Japan’s energy security.
• The leaders are expected to affirm the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait, amidst renegotiations of defense cost sharing.
• The summit could also discuss technology cooperation, such as the Stargate drive, and Nippon Steel’s bid to buy U.S. Steel.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in a summit that marks Trump’s second meeting with a foreign leader since his return to the White House. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington on Friday, and it comes at a time when Japan, one of the closest allies of the United States in Asia, is seeking reassurances about the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

The alliance between the two nations is of significant importance, especially considering the presence of around 54,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan. However, Trump’s America First agenda has raised concerns about the potential impact on the nations’ trade and defense ties. Ishiba is expected to push for reassurances on the importance of the alliance during the summit.

One of the key issues that Ishiba may bring up during the meeting is the proposal to increase imports of U.S. natural gas. This proposal aligns with Trump’s plan to boost domestic energy production under the slogan drill, baby, drill. The move could also enhance energy security for Japan, a country that lacks abundant natural resources.

Energy Security and Trade Relations

Sheila Smith, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, stated that the intention is to present a win-win value proposition from Ishiba to the president. She also noted that Japan has recently cut its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, which has increased the need for Japan to find new sources of LNG and other forms of energy.

The summit comes just days after Trump’s joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the U.S. president sparked controversy with a proposal to take over the Gaza Strip. However, the Japan summit is expected to be less startling, with Smith suggesting that Trump has a fairly strong commitment to the alliances in Asia.

Ishiba has emphasized the importance of U.S. defense ties, citing threats such as China’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-ruled island. He has stated that Tokyo must continue to secure the U.S. commitment to the region to prevent a power vacuum that could lead to regional instability.

Defense Ties and Geopolitical Concerns

The leaders are expected to affirm the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a move that would echo joint statements made by former U.S. President Joe Biden with previous Japanese prime ministers. Takashi Shiraishi, a professor and international relations expert at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto, said that focusing on this point is extremely important because Japan and the United States must work together to prevent a potential crisis.

As Japan and the United States renegotiate how to share the burden of defense costs, there are concerns that Trump could provide less cash and push Japan to do more. Smith suggested that this is where the Ishiba-Trump relationship could get a bit sticky.

Trump’s willingness to impose trade tariffs on major trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, and China has also caused unease. Shiraishi expressed hope that Ishiba will show Trump that there are other ways to achieve economic security, such as cooperating on technology.

Technology Cooperation and Economic Security

One example of such cooperation is the Stargate drive, a project announced after Trump’s January inauguration to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States. The project is led by Japanese tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group and U.S. firm OpenAI.

The leaders could also discuss Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion bid to buy U.S. Steel, which Biden blocked on national security grounds. Japan and the United States are each other’s top foreign investors, a point that Ishiba could stress during the talks.

During his first term, Trump and Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enjoyed warm relations. As president-elect in December, Trump also hosted Akie Abe, the widow of Japan’s assassinated ex-prime minister, for a dinner with Melania Trump at their Florida residence. Trump built a strong relationship with Abe, for whom Smith believes he had a genuine fondness. However, Smith suggested that Trump will likely see Ishiba through a different lens, and it will be more the state-to-state relationship, not the personal.